Test Data Generation for Model Transformations Combining Partition and Constraint Analysis

International audienceModel-Driven Engineering (MDE) is a software engineering paradigm where models play a key role. In a MDE-based development process, models are successively transformed into other models and eventually into the final source code by means of a chain of model transformations. Since writing model transformations is an error-prone task, mechanisms to ensure their reliability are greatly needed. One way of achieving this is by means of testing. A challenging aspect when testing model transformations is the generation of adequate input test data. Most existing approaches generate test data following a black-box approach based on some sort of partition analysis that exploits the structural features of the source metamodel of the transformation. However, these analyses pay no attention to the OCL invariants of the metamodel or do it very superficially. In this paper, we propose a mechanism that systematically analyzes OCL constraints in the source metamodel in order to fine-tune this partition analysis and therefore, the generation of input test data. Our mechanism can be used in isolation, or combined with other black-box or white-box test generation approaches

Data Flow-based Validation of Web Services Compositions: Perspectives and Examples

Composition of Web Services (WSs) is anticipated as the future standard way to dynamically build distributed applications, and hence their verification and validation is attracting great attention. The standardization of BPEL as a composition language and of WSDL as a WS interface definition language has led researchers to investigate verification and validation techniques mainly focusing on the sequence of events in the composition, while minor attention has been paid to the validation of the data flow exchange. In this chapter we study the potential of using data flow modelling for testing composite WSs. After an exhaustive exploration of the issues on testing based on data-related models, we schematically settle future research issues on the perspectives opened by data ow-based validation and present examples for some of them, illustrated on the case study of a composite WS that we have developed, the Virtual Scientific Book Store

A microstructural-based approach to model magneto-viscoelastic materials at finite strains

Magneto-active polymers (MAPs) consist of a polymeric matrix filled with magnetisable particles. MAPs may change their mechanical properties (i.e., stiffness) and/or mechanical deformation upon the application of an external magnetic stimulus. Mechanical responses of MAPs can be understood as the combined contributions of both polymeric matrix and magnetic particles. Moreover, the magnetic response is defined by the interaction between magnetisable particles and the external field. Common approaches to model MAPs are based on phenomenological continuum models, which are able to predict their magneto-mechanical behaviour but are sometimes failed to illustrate specific features of the underlying physics. To better understand the magneto-mechanical responses of MAPs and guide their design and manufacturing processes, this contribution presents a novel continuum constitutive model originated from a microstructural basis. The model is formulated within a finite deformation framework and accounts for viscous (rate) dependences and magneto-mechanical coupling. After the formulations, the model is calibrated with a set of experimental data. The model is validated with a wide range of experimental data that show its predictability. Such a microstructurally-motivated finite strain model will help in designing MAPs with complex three-dimensional microstructures