3,143 research outputs found

    Embedding Requirements within the Model Driven Architecture

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    The Model Driven Architecture (MDA) brings benefits to software development, among them the potential for connecting software models with the business domain. This paper focuses on the upstream or Computation Independent Model (CIM) phase of the MDA. Our contention is that, whilst there are many models and notations available within the CIM Phase, those that are currently popular and supported by the Object Management Group (OMG), may not be the most useful notations for business analysts nor sufficient to fully support software requirements and specification. Therefore, with specific emphasis on the value of the Business Process Modelling Notation (BPMN) for business analysts, this paper provides an example of a typical CIM approach before describing an approach which incorporates specific requirements techniques. A framework extension to the MDA is then introduced; which embeds requirements and specification within the CIM, thus further enhancing the utility of MDA by providing a more complete method for business analysis

    Distribution pattern-driven development of service architectures

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    Distributed systems are being constructed by composing a number of discrete components. This practice is particularly prevalent within the Web service domain in the form of service process orchestration and choreography. Often, enterprise systems are built from many existing discrete applications such as legacy applications exposed using Web service interfaces. There are a number of architectural configurations or distribution patterns, which express how a composed system is to be deployed in a distributed environment. However, the amount of code required to realise these distribution patterns is considerable. In this paper, we propose a distribution pattern-driven approach to service composition and architecting. We develop, based on a catalog of patterns, a UML-compliant framework, which takes existing Web service interfaces as its input and generates executable Web service compositions based on a distribution pattern chosen by the software architect

    Engineering model transformations with transML

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    The final publication is available at Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007%2Fs10270-011-0211-2Model transformation is one of the pillars of model-driven engineering (MDE). The increasing complexity of systems and modelling languages has dramatically raised the complexity and size of model transformations as well. Even though many transformation languages and tools have been proposed in the last few years, most of them are directed to the implementation phase of transformation development. In this way, even though transformations should be built using sound engineering principles—just like any other kind of software—there is currently a lack of cohesive support for the other phases of the transformation development, like requirements, analysis, design and testing. In this paper, we propose a unified family of languages to cover the life cycle of transformation development enabling the engineering of transformations. Moreover, following an MDE approach, we provide tools to partially automate the progressive refinement of models between the different phases and the generation of code for several transformation implementation languages.This work has been sponsored by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation with project METEORIC (TIN2008-02081), and by the R&D program of the Community of Madrid with projects “e-Madrid" (S2009/TIC-1650). Parts of this work were done during the research stays of Esther and Juan at the University of York, with financial support from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (grant refs. JC2009-00015, PR2009-0019 and PR2008-0185)

    Reusable abstractions for modeling languages

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    This is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Information Systems. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Information Systems, 38, 8, (2013) DOI: 10.1016/j.is.2013.06.001Model-driven engineering proposes the use of models to describe the relevant aspects of the system to be built and synthesize the final application from them. Models are normally described using Domain-Specific Modeling Languages (DSMLs), which provide primitives and constructs of the domain. Still, the increasing complexity of systems has raised the need for abstraction techniques able to produce simpler versions of the models while retaining some properties of interest. The problem is that developing such abstractions for each DSML from scratch is time and resource consuming. In this paper, our goal is reducing the effort to provide modeling languages with abstraction mechanisms. For this purpose, we have devised some techniques, based on generic programming and domain-specific meta-modeling, to define generic abstraction operations that can be reused over families of modeling languages sharing certain characteristics. Abstractions can make use of clustering algorithms as similarity criteria for model elements. These algorithms can be made generic as well, and customized for particular languages by means of annotation models. As a result, we have developed a catalog of reusable abstractions using the proposed techniques, together with a working implementation in the MetaDepth multi-level meta-modeling tool. Our techniques and prototypes demonstrate that it is feasible to build reusable and adaptable abstractions, so that similar abstractions need not be developed from scratch, and their integration in new or existing modeling languages is less costly.Work funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitivity with project “Go Lite” (TIN2011-24139), and the R&D programme of Madrid Region with project “eMadrid” (S2009/TIC-1650)

    Formal Reasoning Using an Iterative Approach with an Integrated Web IDE

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    This paper summarizes our experience in communicating the elements of reasoning about correctness, and the central role of formal specifications in reasoning about modular, component-based software using a language and an integrated Web IDE designed for the purpose. Our experience in using such an IDE, supported by a 'push-button' verifying compiler in a classroom setting, reveals the highly iterative process learners use to arrive at suitably specified, automatically provable code. We explain how the IDE facilitates reasoning at each step of this process by providing human readable verification conditions (VCs) and feedback from an integrated prover that clearly indicates unprovable VCs to help identify obstacles to completing proofs. The paper discusses the IDE's usage in verified software development using several examples drawn from actual classroom lectures and student assignments to illustrate principles of design-by-contract and the iterative process of creating and subsequently refining assertions, such as loop invariants in object-based code.Comment: In Proceedings F-IDE 2015, arXiv:1508.0338

    Augmenting DSVL Meta-Tools with Pattern Specification, Instantiation and Reuse

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    This paper describes an approach for using patterns in domain-specific visual language (DSVL) meta-tools. Our approach facilitates DSVL development via high level design-for-reuse and design-by-reuse pattern modelling tools. It provides a simple visual pattern modelling language that is used in parallel with DSVL meta-model specifications for modelling and reusing DSVL structural and behavioural design patterns. It also provides tool support for instantiating and visualising structural patterns, as well as executing behavioural patterns on DSVL model instances

    Specification and implementation of mapping rule visualization and editing : MapVOWL and the RMLEditor

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    Visual tools are implemented to help users in defining how to generate Linked Data from raw data. This is possible thanks to mapping languages which enable detaching mapping rules from the implementation that executes them. However, no thorough research has been conducted so far on how to visualize such mapping rules, especially if they become large and require considering multiple heterogeneous raw data sources and transformed data values. In the past, we proposed the RMLEditor, a visual graph-based user interface, which allows users to easily create mapping rules for generating Linked Data from raw data. In this paper, we build on top of our existing work: we (i) specify a visual notation for graph visualizations used to represent mapping rules, (ii) introduce an approach for manipulating rules when large visualizations emerge, and (iii) propose an approach to uniformly visualize data fraction of raw data sources combined with an interactive interface for uniform data fraction transformations. We perform two additional comparative user studies. The first one compares the use of the visual notation to present mapping rules to the use of a mapping language directly, which reveals that the visual notation is preferred. The second one compares the use of the graph-based RMLEditor for creating mapping rules to the form-based RMLx Visual Editor, which reveals that graph-based visualizations are preferred to create mapping rules through the use of our proposed visual notation and uniform representation of heterogeneous data sources and data values. (C) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

    A Generic Technique for Domain-Specific Visual Language Model Refactoring to Patterns

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    As the popularity of domain-specific visual languages (DSVLs) grows, concerns have arisen regarding quality assurance and evolvability of their meta-models and model instances. In this paper we address aspects of automated DSVL model instance modification for quality improvement based on refactoring specifications. We propose a graph transformation-based visual language approach for DSVL authors to specify the matching and discovery of DSVL “bad model smells” and the application of pattern-based solutions in a DSVL meta-tool. As an outcome, DSVL users are provided with pattern-based design evolution support as refactorings for their DSVL-based domain models
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