Coverage Criteria for Testing DMM Specifications

Behavioral modeling languages are most useful if their behavior is specified formally such that it can e.g. be analyzed and executed automatically. Obviously, the quality of such behavior specifications is crucial. The rule-based semantics specification technique Dynamic Meta Modeling (DMM) honors this by using the approach of Test-driven Semantics Specification (TDSS), which makes sure that the specification at hand at least describes the correct behavior for a suite of test models. However, in its current state TDSS does not provide any means to measure the quality of such a test suite.In this paper, we describe how we have applied the idea of test coverage to TDSS. Similar to common approaches of defining test coverage criteria, we describe a data structure called invocation graph containing possible orders of applications of DMM rules. Then we define different coverage  criteria based on that data structure, taking the rule applications caused by the test suite’s models into account. Our implementation of the described approach gives the language engineer using DMM a means to reason about the quality of the language’s test suite, and also provides hints on how to improve that quality by adding dedicated test models to the test suite

Model Transformation Testing and Debugging: A Survey

Model transformations are the key technique in Model-Driven Engineering (MDE) to manipulate and construct models. As a consequence, the correctness of software systems built with MDE approaches relies mainly on the correctness of model transformations, and thus, detecting and locating bugs in model transformations have been popular research topics in recent years. This surge of work has led to a vast literature on model transformation testing and debugging, which makes it challenging to gain a comprehensive view of the current state of the art. This is an obstacle for newcomers to this topic and MDE practitioners to apply these approaches. This paper presents a survey on testing and debugging model transformations based on the analysis of \nPapers~papers on the topics. We explore the trends, advances, and evolution over the years, bringing together previously disparate streams of work and providing a comprehensive view of these thriving areas. In addition, we present a conceptual framework to understand and categorise the different proposals. Finally, we identify several open research challenges and propose specific action points for the model transformation community.This work is partially supported by the European Commission (FEDER) and Junta de Andalucia under projects APOLO (US-1264651) and EKIPMENT-PLUS (P18-FR-2895), by the Spanish Government (FEDER/Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación – Agencia Estatal de Investigación) under projects HORATIO (RTI2018-101204-B-C21), COSCA (PGC2018-094905-B-I00) and LOCOSS (PID2020-114615RB-I00), by the Austrian Science Fund (P 28519-N31, P 30525-N31), and by the Austrian Federal Ministry for Digital and Economic Affairs and the National Foundation for Research, Technology and Development (CDG

Quality assurance with dynamic meta modeling

Dynamic Meta Modeling (DMM) ist eine Semantikbeschreibungstechnik, die sich auf MOF-basierte Sprachen fokussiert und deren Verhalten durch graphische, operationale Regeln beschreibt. Der DMM-Ansatz wurde im Jahr 2000 von Engels et al. erstmals beschrieben und von Hausmann in 2006 in seiner Dissertation ausgearbeitet. Der nächste Schritt war nun, an verschiedenen Modellierungssprachen zu erproben, um die gemachten Erfahrungen in die Verbesserung von DMM und seinen Werkzeugen einfließen zu lassen. Das Ergebnis ist die DMM++-Methode, die in dieser Arbeit vorgestellt wird. Wir haben vorwiegend an drei Stellen Verbesserungen vorgenommen: Erstens haben wir basierend auf unseren Erfahrungen mit DMM neue Sprachkonzepte wie die Verfeinerung von Regeln entwickelt, und wir haben bestehende Konzepte wie die Behandlung von universell quantifizierten Strukturen oder Attributen verbessert. Zweitens haben wir einen testgetriebenen Semantikspezifizierungsprozess entwickelt: Zunächst wird eine Menge von Beispielmodellen erzeugt und deren erwartetes Verhalten formalisiert. Die DMM-Regeln werden dann inkrementell entwickelt, wobei geprüft wird, ob die Beispielmodelle tatsächlich das erwartete Verhalten erzeugen. Zudem haben wir Abdeckungskriterien für Tests von DMM-Spezifikationen entwickelt, die die Beurteilung der Qualität der Tests erlauben. Drittens haben wir gezeigt, wie funktionale und nichtfunktionale Anforderungen an Modelle und ihre DMM-Spezifikation formuliert und geprüft werden können. Für ersteres haben wir eine graphische Sprache zur Formulierung temporallogischer Eigenschaften zur Verfügung gestellt, die dann mit Model Checking geprüft werden. Für zweiteres ermöglichen wir dem Modellierer das Hinzufügen von Performanceinformationen zu den Modellen, aufgrund dessen dann z.B. der average throughput eines Modells berechnet werden kann.Dynamic Meta Modeling (DMM) is a semantics specification technique targeted at MOF-based modeling languages, where a language's behavior is defined by means of graphical operational rules which change runtime models. The DMM approach has first been suggested by Engels et al. in 2000; Hausmann has then defined the DMM language on a conceptual level within his PhD thesis in 2006. Consequently, the next step was to bring the existing DMM concepts alive, and then to apply them to different modeling languages, making use of the lessons learned to improve the DMM concepts as well as the DMM tooling. The result of this process is the DMM++ method, which is presented within this thesis. Our contributions are three-fold: First, and according to our experiences with the DMM language, we have introduced new concepts such as refinement by means of rule overriding, and we have strengthened existing concepts such as the dealing with universal quantified structures or attributes. Second, we have developed a test-driven process for semantics specification: A set of test models is created, and their expected behavior is fixed. Then, the DMM rules are created incrementally, finally resulting in a DMM ruleset realizing at least the expected behavior of the test models. Additionally, we have defined a set of coverage criteria for DMM rulesets which allow to measure the quality of a set of test models. Third, we have shown how functional as well as non-functional requirements can be formulated against models and their DMM specifications. The former is achieved by providing a visual language for formulating temporal logic properties, which are then verified with model checking techniques, and by allowing for visual debugging of models failing a requirement. For the latter, the modeler can add performance information to models and analyze their performance properties, e.g. average throughput.Tag der Verteidigung: 04.07.2013Paderborn, Univ., Diss., 201

Solving heterogeneity for a successful service market

Diese Dissertation ist im Kontext eines neuen Paradigmas im Software Engineering mit dem Namen On-The-Fly Computing entstanden. OTF Computing basiert auf der Idee von spezialisierten On-The-Fly Märkten. OTF Märkte haben unterschiedliche Eigenschaften und die Marktakteure in diesen Märkten benutzen verschiedene Modellierungstechniken für das Service Engineering. Diese Unterschiede resultieren in Heterogenität und erschweren deshalb die Ausführung von automatisierten Marktoperationen, da Servicebeschreibungen nicht automatisch miteinander verglichen werden können. Für das beschriebene Problem bietet diese Dissertation eine Lösung um einen erfolgreichen OTF Markt zu ermöglichen. Für die Vergleichbarkeit von Servicebeschreibungen in einem OTF Markt wird eine formale Zwischenrepräsentation (Kernsprache) eingeführt. Die Marktoperationen werden auf Basis der Kernsprache definiert, die die optimale Ausführung der automatisierten Marktoperationen in einem OTF Markt unterstützt. Der erste Beitrag dieser Dissertation ist der Ansatz Language Optimizer (LOpt). LOpt nutzt als Basis eine Kernsprache, die strukturelle, verhaltensbezogene und nicht-funktionale Serviceeigenschaften beinhaltet. LOpt konfiguriert diese Sprache basierend auf formalisierten Markteigenschaften und einer Wissensbasis mit Konfigurationsexpertise, um eine optimale Kernsprache zur Servicespezifikation im jeweiligen OTF Markt zu erstellen. Der zweite Beitrag dieser Dissertation ist die Anwendung des Model Transformation By-Example Ansatzes um den Marktakteuren ohne Expertise im Sprachdesign Transformationen von ihren proprietären Sprachen in die optimale Kernsprache zu ermöglichen. Der beschriebene Ansatz generiert Transformationen auf Basis von Beispielabbildungen zwischen Servicebeschreibungen zweier Sprachen. Dabei wird die Idee genetischer Algorithmen angewendet.This PhD thesis is written in the context of a new software development paradigm called On-The-Fly Computing. It is based on the idea of specialized service markets called On-The-Fly (OTF) markets. OTF markets have different properties and their participants use different modeling techniques to perform the activity of service engineering. Such differences result in heterogeneity in OTF markets and complicate the execution of automated market operations like service matching as service specifications cannot be automatically compared with each other. This PhD thesis proposes a solution to cope with the mentioned heterogeneity to foster the success of OTF markets and the OTF Computing paradigm. In order to achieve the comparability of specifications in an OTF market, a formal intermediate representation called core language is introduced. Automated market operations are defined on a core language that optimally supports the execution of these operations in this market. The first contribution of this PhD thesis is the approach language Optimizer (LOpt), which supports the systematic design of a service specification language optimal for the execution of automated market operations in an OTF market. LOpt uses a comprehensive core language covering various structural, behavioral, and non-functional service properties. LOpt performs a configuration of this language based on formalized market properties and a knowledge base containing the configuration expertise. The second contribution of this PhD thesis is the application of the Model Transformations By-Example technique to define transformations from proprietary specification languages of market actors to the optimal core language. The approach generates transformations based on example mappings between concrete specifications in both languages given by market actors. ...by Svetlana Arifulina, M.Sc. ; Thesis Supervisors: Prof. Dr. Gregor Engels and Jun. Prof. Dr. Heiko HamannTag der Verteidigung: 08.12.2016Universität Paderborn, Univ., Dissertation, 201