Determining the Structural Events That May Violate an Integrity Constraint

Any implementation of an information system must ensure that an operation is only applied if its execution does not lead to a violation of any of the integrity constraints defined in its conceptual schema. In this paper we propose a method to automatically determine the operations that may potentially violate an OCL integrity constraint in conceptual schemas defined in the UML. This is done by determining the structural events that may violate the constraint and checking whether those events appear in the operation specification. In this way, our method helps to improve efficiency of integrity checking since its results can be used to discard many irrelevant tests.Postprint (published version

Determining the structural events that may violate an integrity constraint

Any implementation of an information system must ensure that an operation is only applied if its execution does not lead to a violation of any of the integrity constraints defined in its conceptual schema. In this paper we propose a method to automatically determine the operations that may potentially violate an OCL integrity constraint in conceptual schemas defined in the UML. This is done by determining the structural events that may violate the constraint and checking whether those events appear in the operation specification. In this way, our method helps to improve efficiency of integrity checking since its results can be used to discard many irrelevant tests

E.: Determining the Structural Events that May Violate an Integrity Constraint

Abstract. Any implementation of an information system must ensure that an operation is only applied if its execution does not lead to a violation of any of the integrity constraints defined in its conceptual schema. In this paper we propose a method to automatically determine the operations that may potentially violate an OCL integrity constraint in conceptual schemas defined in the UML. This is done by determining the structural events that may violate the constraint and checking whether those events appear in the operation specification. In this way, our method helps to improve efficiency of integrity checking since its results can be used to discard many irrelevant tests. 1

Design and Implementation of a Conceptual Modeling Assistant (CMA)

This Master's Thesis de nes an architecture for a Conceptual Modeling Assistant (CMA) along with an implementation of a running prototype. Our CMA is a piece of software that runs on top of current modeling tools whose purpose is to collaborate with the conceptual modelers while developing a conceptual schema. The main functions of our CMA are to actively criticize the state of a conceptual schema, to suggest actions to do in order to improve the conceptual schema, and to o er new operations to automatize building a schema. On the one hand, the presented architecture assumes that the CMA has to be adapted to a modeling tool. Thus, the CMA permits the inclusion of new features, such as the detection of new defects to be criticized and new operations a modeler can execute, in a modeling tool. As a result, all modeling tools to which the CMA is adapted bene t of all these features without further work. On the other hand, the construction of our prototype involves three steps: the de nition of a simple, custom modeling tool; the implementation of the CMA; and the adaptation of the CMA to the custom modeling tool. Furthermore, we also present and implement some examples of new features that can be added to the CMA

Design and Implementation of a Conceptual Modeling Assistant (CMA)

This Master's Thesis de nes an architecture for a Conceptual Modeling Assistant (CMA) along with an implementation of a running prototype. Our CMA is a piece of software that runs on top of current modeling tools whose purpose is to collaborate with the conceptual modelers while developing a conceptual schema. The main functions of our CMA are to actively criticize the state of a conceptual schema, to suggest actions to do in order to improve the conceptual schema, and to o er new operations to automatize building a schema. On the one hand, the presented architecture assumes that the CMA has to be adapted to a modeling tool. Thus, the CMA permits the inclusion of new features, such as the detection of new defects to be criticized and new operations a modeler can execute, in a modeling tool. As a result, all modeling tools to which the CMA is adapted bene t of all these features without further work. On the other hand, the construction of our prototype involves three steps: the de nition of a simple, custom modeling tool; the implementation of the CMA; and the adaptation of the CMA to the custom modeling tool. Furthermore, we also present and implement some examples of new features that can be added to the CMA