Using a Dynamic Domain-Specific Modeling Language for the Model-Driven Development of Cross-Platform Mobile Applications

There has been a gradual but steady convergence of dynamic programming languages with modeling languages. One area that can benefit from this convergence is modeldriven development (MDD) especially in the domain of mobile application development. By using a dynamic language to construct a domain-specific modeling language (DSML), it is possible to create models that are executable, exhibit flexible type checking, and provide a smaller cognitive gap between business users, modelers and developers than more traditional model-driven approaches. Dynamic languages have found strong adoption by practitioners of Agile development processes. These processes often rely on developers to rapidly produce working code that meets business needs and to do so in an iterative and incremental way. Such methodologies tend to eschew “throwaway” artifacts and models as being wasteful except as a communication vehicle to produce executable code. These approaches are not readily supported with traditional heavyweight approaches to model-driven development such as the Object Management Group’s Model-Driven Architecture approach. This research asks whether it is possible for a domain-specific modeling language written in a dynamic programming language to define a cross-platform model that can produce native code and do so in a way that developer productivity and code quality are at least as effective as hand-written code produced using native tools. Using a prototype modeling tool, AXIOM (Agile eXecutable and Incremental Objectoriented Modeling), we examine this question through small- and mid-scale experiments and find that the AXIOM approach improved developer productivity by almost 400%, albeit only after some up-front investment. We also find that the generated code can be of equal if not better quality than the equivalent hand-written code. Finally, we find that there are significant challenges in the synthesis of a DSML that can be used to model applications across platforms as diverse as today’s mobile operating systems, which point to intriguing avenues of subsequent research

Sound and Precise Malware Analysis for Android via Pushdown Reachability and Entry-Point Saturation

We present Anadroid, a static malware analysis framework for Android apps. Anadroid exploits two techniques to soundly raise precision: (1) it uses a pushdown system to precisely model dynamically dispatched interprocedural and exception-driven control-flow; (2) it uses Entry-Point Saturation (EPS) to soundly approximate all possible interleavings of asynchronous entry points in Android applications. (It also integrates static taint-flow analysis and least permissions analysis to expand the class of malicious behaviors which it can catch.) Anadroid provides rich user interface support for human analysts which must ultimately rule on the "maliciousness" of a behavior. To demonstrate the effectiveness of Anadroid's malware analysis, we had teams of analysts analyze a challenge suite of 52 Android applications released as part of the Auto- mated Program Analysis for Cybersecurity (APAC) DARPA program. The first team analyzed the apps using a ver- sion of Anadroid that uses traditional (finite-state-machine-based) control-flow-analysis found in existing malware analysis tools; the second team analyzed the apps using a version of Anadroid that uses our enhanced pushdown-based control-flow-analysis. We measured machine analysis time, human analyst time, and their accuracy in flagging malicious applications. With pushdown analysis, we found statistically significant (p < 0.05) decreases in time: from 85 minutes per app to 35 minutes per app in human plus machine analysis time; and statistically significant (p < 0.05) increases in accuracy with the pushdown-driven analyzer: from 71% correct identification to 95% correct identification.Comment: Appears in 3rd Annual ACM CCS workshop on Security and Privacy in SmartPhones and Mobile Devices (SPSM'13), Berlin, Germany, 201

Model-driven generative programming for BIS mobile applications

The burst on the availability of smart phones based on the Android platform calls for cost-effective techniques to generate mobile apps for general purpose, distributed business information systems (BIS). To mitigate this problem our research aims at applying model-driven techniques to automatically generate usable prototypes with a sound, maintainable, architecture. Following three base principles: model-based generation, separation of concerns, paradigm seamlessness, we try to answer the main guiding question – how to reduce development time and cost by transforming a given domain model into an Android application? To answer this question we propose to develop an application that follows a generative approach for mobile BIS apps that will mitigate the identified problems. Its input is a platform independent model (PIM), with business rules specified in OCL (Object Constraint Language). We adopted the Design Science Research methodology, that helps gaining problem understanding, identifying systemically appropriate solutions, and in effectively evaluating new and innovative solutions. To better evaluate our solution, besides resorting to third party tools to test specific components integration, we demonstrated its usage and evaluated how well it mitigates a subset of the identified problems in an observational study (we presented our generated apps to an outside audience in a controlled environment to study our model-based centered and, general apps understandability) and communicated its effectiveness to researchers and practitioners.O grande surto de disponibilidade de dispositivos móveis para a plataforma Android requer, técnicas generativas de desenvolvimento de aplicações para sistemas comuns e/ou distribuídos de informação empresariais/negócio, que otimizem a relação custo-benefício. Para mitigar este problema, esta investigação visa aplicar técnicas orientadas a modelos para, automaticamente, gerar protótipos funcionais de aplicações com uma arquitetura robusta e fácil de manter. Seguindo para tal três princípios base: geração baseada no modelo, separação de aspetos, desenvolvimento sem soturas (sem mudança de paradigma), tentamos dar resposta à pergunta orientadora – como reduzir o tempo e custo de desenvolvimento de uma aplicação Android por transformação de um dado modelo de domínio? De modo a responder a esta questão nós propomos desenvolver uma aplicação que segue uma abordagem generativa para aplicações de informação empresariais/negócio móveis de modo a mitigar os problemas identificados. Esta recebe modelos independentes de plataforma (PIM), com regras de negócio especificadas em OCL (Object Constraint Language). Seguimos a metodologia Design Science Research que ajuda a identificar e perceber o problema, a identificar sistematicamente soluções apropriadas aos problemas e a avaliar mais eficientemente soluções novas e inovadoras. Para melhor avaliar a nossa solução, apesar de recorrermos a ferramentas de terceiros para testar a integração de componentes específicos, também demonstramos a sua utilização, através de estudos experimentais (em um ambiente controlado, apresentamos as nossas aplicações geradas a uma audiência externa que nos permitiu estudar a compreensibilidade baseada e centrada em modelos e, de um modo geral, das aplicações) avaliamos o quanto esta mitiga um subconjunto de problemas identificados e comunicamos a sua eficácia para investigadores e profissionais

Desarrollo dirigido por modelos de aplicaciones móviles multiplataforma a partir de un conjunto de reglas heurísticas basadas en esquemas preconceptuales

ilustraciones, diagramas, tablasModel driven development (MDD) approaches aim for increasing development team productivity and decreasing software time-to-market. Such approaches comprise a set of model-to-model and model-to-text transformation rules for generating the source code based on models. Some authors propose MDD approaches for cross-platform mobile applications. So, we perform a systematic literature review looking for MDD approaches for cross-platform mobile applications, having as a result 39 primary studies grouped on 19 different MDD approaches. We observe 100.0 % approaches lack close-to-natural modeling languages, 36.8 % approaches lack design patterns, and 84.2 % lack usability features. In addition, 42.1 % approaches use out-of-date programming languages as automation result. Therefore, we propose an MDD approach for cross-platform mobile applications by using pre-conceptual schemas. Such schemas allow for guaranteeing a close-to-natural modeling language, including design patterns, and including usability features. Moreover, we complete the UN-LEND specification language as an intermediate model between pre-conceptual schemas and cross-platform mobile applications, avoiding the usage of out-of-date programming languages. Then, we design a pre-conceptual-schema-based metamodel in order to develop an MDD prototype based on the Eclipse Modeling Framework and XPAND. We propose a set of heuristic rules divided into model, view, and controller layers, having the pre-conceptual schema as a rule left-hand side, UN-LEND as an intermediate model, and Java-Android and Swift-iOS code as a rule right-hand side. We validate our approach by using a case of study about MobileSQUARE: an Android application for requirements gathering based on a question answering model. As a result, we automatically generate 90.86 % of the MobileSQUARE application by using our approach. Specifically, we observe model layer is close to be fully automated having 98.95 % as automation percentage compared to view and controller layers with 82.31 % and 84.56 % respectively. We expect researchers and software engineering practitioners increase their productivity and decrease software time-to-market based on our results. We identify some future work and challenges such as: including Programming eXperience heuristics in the resulting code (PX); allowing round-trip transformations between code, UN-LEND, and pre-conceptual schemas; including rules related to pre-conceptual schema vectors, matrices, and achievement relationships; improving controller and view layers related rules to increase the automation percentage; developing a compiler for UN-LEND models.Los enfoques de desarrollo dirigidos por modelos (MDD) tienen como objetivo aumentar la productividad del equipo de desarrollo y reducir el tiempo de comercialización del software. Algunos autores proponen enfoques MDD para aplicaciones móviles multiplataforma. Por ello, se realiza una revisión sistemática de la literatura en busca de enfoques MDD para aplicaciones móviles multiplataforma, teniendo como resultado 39 estudios primarios agrupados en 19 enfoques MDD diferentes. Se observa que el 100,0 % de los enfoques carecen de lenguajes de modelado cercanos al natural, el 36,8 % de los enfoques carecen de patrones de diseño y el 84,2 % carecen de características de usabilidad. Además, el 42,1 % de los enfoques utilizan lenguajes de programación obsoletos como resultado de la automatización. Por lo tanto, se propone un enfoque MDD para aplicaciones móviles multiplataforma mediante el uso de esquemas preconceptuales. Estos esquemas permiten garantizar un lenguaje de modelado cercano al natural, incluir patrones de diseño e incluir características de usabilidad. Además, se completa el lenguaje de especificación UN-LEND como modelo intermedio entre los esquemas preconceptuales y las aplicaciones móviles multiplataforma, evitando el uso de lenguajes de programación desfasados. Luego, se diseña un metamodelo del esquema preconceptual para desarrollar un prototipo de MDD basado en el Eclipse Modeling Framework y XPAND. Se propone un conjunto de reglas heurísticas divididas en las capas modelo, vista, y controlador, teniendo al esquema preconceptual como el lado izquierdo de la regla, UN-LEND como modelo intermedio, y el código Android Java e iOS Swift como el lado derecho de la regla. Se valida este enfoque utilizando un caso de estudio sobre MobileSQUARE: una aplicación Android para la recopilación de requisitos basada en un modelo de respuesta a preguntas. Como resultado, se genera automáticamente el 90,86 % de la aplicación MobileS-QUARE utilizando las reglas propuestas. En concreto, se observa que la capa model está cerca de la automatización total teniendo un 98,95 % como porcentaje de automatización en comparación con las capas vista y controlador con un 82,31 % y 84,56 % respectivamente. Se espera que los investigadores y los profesionales de la ingeniería del software aumenten su productividad y reduzcan el tiempo de comercialización del software basándose en estos resultados. Como resultado de esta Tesis de Maestría, se identifican algunas propuestas y retos futuros como: incluir heurísticas de Experiencia del Programador (PX) en el código resultante; permitir las transformaciones de ida y vuelta entre código, UN-LEND y los esquemas preconceptuales; incluir reglas relacionadas con los vectores, la matrices y las relaciones de logro de los esquemas preconceptuales; y desarrollar un compilador para los modelos UN-LEND. (Texto tomado de la fuente)MaestríaMagister en Ingeniería - Ingeniería de SistemasSoftware engineeringÁrea Curricular de Ingeniería de Sistemas e Informátic