Exploiting the ASM method within the Model-driven Engineering paradigm

Model-driven Engineering (MDE) is an emerging approach for software development. It uses metamodels to define language (or formalism) abstract notation, so separating the abstract syntax and semantics of the language from their different concrete notations. However, metamodelling frameworks lack of a way to specify the semantics of languages, which is usually given in natural language. We claim that the MDE paradigm can gain rigor and preciseness from the integration with formal approaches, and we propose the integration with the ASMs to define a unified methodology for metamodel-based language syntax and semantics definitions

The female contribution in architecting a set of tools for a formal method

This paper presents the female contribution on engineering a reference software architecture for ASMETA, a framework for an integrated use of tools developed around the Abstract State Machine formal method. Based on our experience in such a development project, we discuss how feminine mindset and skills can bring concrete advantages, but some disadvantages too, in the creative process of metamodeling, architecting and maintaining softw

ViBBA: A Toolbox for Automatic Model Driven

In this paper, we present ViBBA (Visual Bean Based Animator), a toolbox supporting the automatic model driven animation [7] consisting in automatically deriving scenarios exposing critical system behaviors from requirements specifications, and animating those scenarios through a graphical interface. ViBBA allows visual construction of graphical animators and scenarios animation. It is integrated with the ATGT [5], that automatically generates scenarios (in XML format) from Abstract State Machines (ASMs) by exploiting counter example generation capability of the model checker Spin. The operation of ViBBA is shown by means of an example of formal specification where scenarios are automatically generated from the model and then animated

Using SMT for dealing with nondeterminism in ASM-based runtime verification

In runtime verification, operational models describing the expected system behavior offer some advantages with respect to declarative specifications of properties, especially when designers are more accustomed to them. However, nondeterminism in the specification usually affects performances of those operational methods that explicitly represent all the possible conformant states. In this paper, we tackle the problem of dealing with nondeterminism in an operational runtime verification approach based on the use of Abstract State Machines (ASMs). We propose an SMT-based technique in which ASM computations are symbolically represented and conformance verification is performed by means of satisfability checking. Experiments show that, in most of the cases, the symbolic approach performs better than a technique for ASM-based runtime verification explicitly representing the conformant states