A Collaborative Multi-Touch UML Design Tool

The design and development of software projects is usually done in teams today. Collaborative systems based on multi-touch walls or large table-top screens could support these highly interactive tasks. We present a novel collaborative design tool which allows several developers to jointly create complex UML (Unified Modeling Language) diagrams. We have developed new algorithms to recognize the gestures drawn by the users, to create the respective elements of the diagram, to adjust the edges between classes, and to improve the layout of the classes automatically. Auxiliary lines provide the user with means to align classes precisely so a more consistent layout is achieved. Export functionality for XML and Java code skeletons completes the application; the UML diagram can thus be used in further steps of the software design process. User evaluations confirm considerable benefits of our proposed system

Nástroj pro konceptuální modelování multi-modelových dat

A tool for conceptual modelling of multi-model data Abstract Richard Hvizdoš 8 May 2023 The aim of the bachelor's thesis is to create a tool that supports modeling in the UML and the newly created categorical model (CAT), as well as transla- tion from UML model to CAT model. Thesis contains basic description of UML and CAT, research of popular tools for modeling, programming and user docu- mentation. The appendices contains tests, design pattern and sequence diagrams of selected methods. The outcome of the thesis is functional, user friendly tool available on the Windows operating system. The advantages of the tool are for ex- ample possibility to change grafic properties of objects, save and load file in JSON format or open multiple canvases in one tool window. 1Nástroj pro konceptuální modelování multi-modelových dat Abstrakt Richard Hvizdoš 8. 5. 2023 Cieľom tejto BP je vytvoriť aparát podporujúci modelovanie v jazyku UML a novo vytvorenom kategorickom modeli (CAT), taktiež preklad UML modelu na CAT model. Práca obsahuje základný popis UML, CAT, rešerš dostupných editorov na modelovanie a v neposlednom rade programátorskú a používateľ- skú dokumentáciu. V prílohách sú mimo iné zobrazené aj testy, návrhový vzor a sekvenčné diagramy vybraných metód. Výsledok práce je funkčný, používateľ- ský prívetivý nástroj dostupný na operačnom systéme Windows. Prednosťami nástroja sú napríklad: možnosti zmeny grafických vlastností objektov, uloženie a načítanie súboru vo formáte JSON, možnosť otvoriť viacero canvasov v jednom okne nástroja. 1Department of Software EngineeringKatedra softwarového inženýrstvíFaculty of Mathematics and PhysicsMatematicko-fyzikální fakult

Metamodel-based model conformance and multiview consistency checking

Model-driven development, using languages such as UML and BON, often makes use of multiple diagrams (e.g., class and sequence diagrams) when modeling systems. These diagrams, presenting different views of a system of interest, may be inconsistent. A metamodel provides a unifying framework in which to ensure and check consistency, while at the same time providing the means to distinguish between valid and invalid models, that is, conformance. Two formal specifications of the metamodel for an object-oriented modeling language are presented, and it is shown how to use these specifications for model conformance and multiview consistency checking. Comparisons are made in terms of completeness and the level of automation each provide for checking multiview consistency and model conformance. The lessons learned from applying formal techniques to the problems of metamodeling, model conformance, and multiview consistency checking are summarized

Multi-Touch Table for Enhancing Collaboration during Software Design

Encouraging collaborative software design through the use of Multi-touch interfaces has become increasingly important because such surfaces can accommodate more than one user concurrently, which is particularly useful for collaborative software design. This study investigated the differences in collaborative design among groups of students working in PC-based and Multi-touch table conditions to determine the potential of the Multi-touch table to increase the effectiveness of collaboration during software design. The literature includes several interesting studies reflecting the role of Multi-touch tables in enhancing collaborative activities. Research has found that Multi-touch tables increase group interaction and therefore increase the attainment of group goals. Although many research efforts have facilitated collaboration among users in software design using Unified Modelling Language (UML), these studies examined distributed collaboration and not face-to-face collaboration. However, existing research that studied facilitating co-located collaborative software design has some limitations such as using technologies that prevent parallel design activities. Collaborative software design using Multi-touch table has not been widely explored. A structured literature review revealed that no Multi-touch collaborative UML design tool is available. Thus, a Multi-touch enabled tool called MT-CollabUML was developed for this study to encourage students to work collaboratively on software design using UML in a co-located setting. Eighteen master’s level students enrolled in the Software Engineering for the Internet module were selected to participate in the study. The participants formed nine pairs. The experiment followed a counterbalanced within-subjects design where groups switched experiment conditions to ensure each group used the Multi-touch table and PC-based conditions. All collaborative UML diagramming activities were video recorded for quantitative and qualitative analysis. Results show that using the MT-CollabUML tool in the Multi-touch table condition enhanced the level of collaboration among the team members and increased their shared contribution. It also increased the equity of participation; the individuals contributed almost equally to the task, and single-person domination decreased in the Multi-touch condition. Results also show that the Multi-touch table encourages parallel-participative design where both group members work in a parallel manner to accomplish the final agreed-upon design. The analysis of verbal communication shows that both experiment conditions encouraged subjects to use collaborative learning skills

Development of a client interface for a methodology independent object-oriented CASE tool : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Computer Science at Massey University

The overall aim of the research presented in this thesis is the development of a prototype CASE Tool user interface that supports the use of arbitrary methodology notations for the construction of small-scale diagrams. This research is part of the larger CASE Tool project, MOOT (Massey's Object Oriented Tool). MOOT is a meta-system with a client-server architecture that provides a framework within which the semantics and syntax of methodologies can be described. The CASE Tool user interface is implemented in Java so it is as portable as possible and has a consistent look and feel. It has been designed as a client to the rest of the MOOT system (which acts as a server). A communications protocol has been designed to support the interaction between the CASE Tool client and a MOOT server. The user interface design of MOOT must support all possible graphical notations. No assumptions about the types of notations that a software engineer may use can be made. MOOT therefore provides a specification language called NDL for the definition of a methodology's syntax. Hence, the MOOT CASE Tool client described in this thesis is a shell that is parameterised by NDL specifications. The flexibility provided by such a high level of abstraction presents significant challenges in terms of designing effective human-computer interaction mechanisms for the MOOT user interface. Functional and non-functional requirements of the client user interface have been identified and applied during the construction of the prototype. A notation specification that defines the syntax for Coad and Yourdon OOA/OOD has been written in NDL and used as a test case. The thesis includes the iterative evaluation and extension of NDL resulting from the prototype development. The prototype has shown that the current approach to NDL is efficacious, and that the syntax and semantics of a methodology description can successfully be separated. The developed prototype has shown that it is possible to build a simple, non-intrusive, and efficient, yet flexible, useable, and helpful interface for meta-CASE tools. The development of the CASE Tool client, through its generic, methodology independent design, has provided a pilot with which future ideas may be explored

Event-driven grammars: Relating abstract and concrete levels of visual languages

The final publication is available at Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10270-007-0051-2In this work we introduce event-driven grammars, a kind of graph grammars that are especially suited for visual modelling environments generated by meta-modelling. Rules in these grammars may be triggered by user actions (such as creating, editing or connecting elements) and in their turn may trigger other user-interface events. Their combination with triple graph transformation systems allows constructing and checking the consistency of the abstract syntax graph while the user is building the concrete syntax model, as well as managing the layout of the concrete syntax representation. As an example of these concepts, we show the definition of a modelling environment for UML sequence diagrams. A discussion is also presented of methodological aspects for the generation of environments for visual languages with multiple views, its connection with triple graph grammars, the formalization of the latter in the double pushout approach and its extension with an inheritance concept.This work has been partially sponsored by the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science with projects MOSAIC (TSI2005-08225-C07-06) and MODUWEB (TIN 2006-09678)

UML-F: A Modeling Language for Object-Oriented Frameworks

The paper presents the essential features of a new member of the UML language family that supports working with object-oriented frameworks. This UML extension, called UML-F, allows the explicit representation of framework variation points. The paper discusses some of the relevant aspects of UML-F, which is based on standard UML extension mechanisms. A case study shows how it can be used to assist framework development. A discussion of additional tools for automating framework implementation and instantiation rounds out the paper.Comment: 22 pages, 10 figure