Requirements Engineering-Based Conceptual Modelling

The software production process involves a set of phases where a clear relationship and smooth transitions between them should be introduced. In this paper, a requirements engineering-based conceptual modelling approach is introduced as a way to improve the quality of the software production process. The aim of this approach is to provide a set of techniques and methods to capture software requirements and to provide a way to move from requirements to a conceptual schema in a traceable way. The approach combines a framework for requirements engineering (TRADE) and a graphical object-oriented method for conceptual modelling and code generation (OO-Method). The intended improvement of the software production process is accomplished by providing a precise methodological guidance to go from the user requirements (represented through the use of the appropriate TRADE techniques) to the conceptual schema that properly represents them (according to the conceptual constructs provided by the OO-Method). Additionally, as the OO-Method provides full model-based code generation features, this combination minimises the time dedicated to obtaining the final software product.     

Experimental evaluation of an object-oriented function point measurement procedure

This paper presents an empirical study that evaluates OO-Method Function Points (OOmFP), a functional size measurement procedure for object-oriented systems that are specified using the OO-Method approach. A laboratory experiment with students was conducted to compare OOmFP with the IFPUG – Function Point Analysis (FPA) procedure on a range of variables, including efficiency, reproducibility, accuracy, perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness and intention to use. The results show that OOmFP is more time-consuming than FPA but the measurement results are more reproducible and accurate. The results also indicate that OOmFP is perceived to be more useful and more likely to be adopted in practice than FPA in the context of OO-Method systems development. We also report lessons learned and suggest improvements to the experimental procedure employed and replications of this study using samples of industry practitioners.     

A functional size measurement method for object-oriented conceptual schemas: design and evaluation issues

Functional Size Measurement (FSM) methods are intended to measure the size of software by quantifying the functional user requirements of the software. The capability to accurately quantify the size of software in an early stage of the development lifecycle is critical to software project managers for evaluating risks, developing project estimates and having early project indicators. In this paper, we present OO-Method Function Points (OOmFP), which is a new FSM method for object-oriented systems that is based on measuring conceptual schemas. OOmFP is presented following the steps of a process model for software measurement. Using this process model, we present the design of the measurement method, its application in a case study, and the analysis of different evaluation types that can be carried out to validate the method and to verify its application and results.     

Automated code generation of dynamic specializations: an approach based on design patterns and formal techniques

In this work, we present an automatic code generation process from conceptual models. This process incorporates the use of design patterns in OO-Method, an automated software production method, which is built on a formal object-oriented model called OASIS. Our approach defines a precise mapping between conceptual patterns, design patterns and their implementation. Design patterns make the code generation process easy because they provide methodological guidance to go from the problem space to the solution space. In order to understand these ideas, we introduce a complete code generation process for conceptual models that have dynamic specialization relationships. This proposal can be incorporated into CASE tools, making the automation of the software production process feasible.     

Model-Driven Development

The model-driven architecture (MDA) paradigm is well-known and widely used in the field of model-based software development. However, there are still some issues that are problematic and that need to be dealt with carefully. In this paper we present a metaphor that explains how MDA grows in complexity as problems faced become more difficult or “wicked”, and how a method designed to be powerful, flexible and MDA-compliant can eventually become, in effect, a “jigsaw puzzle”. This jigsaw puzzle is not merely the result of having a collection of methodological “pieces” with routes across them, but also arises as a result of the criteria underlying the MDA abstraction layers. We compare MDA to other research fields such as human-computer interaction, model management and method engineering, and we use as an example the OO-Method, a software development method based on MDA-compliant model transformations. We focus on a methodological piece that is conceived to allow the specification of interaction requirements by means of interface sketches. These sketches are supported by a task model that serves as a sound basis for formalisation and allows the application of model transformation in order to obtain subsequent models. A case study illustrates the requirements capture method together with the software development process defined by the OO-Method. The whole process presented in the case study represents one of the possible routes that can be followed when developing a software system with the OO-Method.     

功能点度量在软件开发中的应用

软件度量是管理、控制和改进软件过程的基础,然而软件规模的概念没有被很好地理解,也没有得到广泛应用。与传统的代码行度量相比较,采用功能点作为规模度量单位具有准确一致的优点。功能点是被证实的可信的软件规模度量方法,它在软件定价、变更管理、项目估算等方面可以起到积极的作用。功能点度量方法已成为软件度量的基础,也是客户与软件开发组织交流的基础。     

飞行模拟器软件规模度量

软件度量过程是实施软件过程改进的基础,其中软件规模度量属于软件度量的重要部分,在项目估算和决策中起着举足轻重的作用。本文概要介绍了当前软件规模度量的几种方法,分析了飞行仿真软件的基本特点,提出了一种新的软件规模度量模型和算法。     

On the conversion between IFPUG and COSMIC software functional size units: A theoretical and empirical study

Since 1984 the International Function Point Users Group (IFPUG) has produced and maintained a set of standards and technical documents about a functional size measurement methods, known as IFPUG, based on Albrecht function points. On the other hand, in 1998, the Common Software Measurement International Consortium (COSMIC) proposed an improved measurement method known as full function points (FFP). Both the IFPUG and the COSMIC methods both measure functional size of software, but produce different results. In this paper, we propose a model to convert functional size measures obtained with the IFPUG method to the corresponding COSMIC measures. We also present the validation of the model using 33 software projects measured with both methods. This approach may be beneficial to companies using both methods or migrating to COSMIC such that past data in IFPUG can be considered for future estimates using COSMIC and as a validation procedure.     

A model for estimating the size of a formal communication protocol specification and its implementation

Good project management is key when developing a software system successfully. To manage a project well, it is important to have the optimal resource allocation which is affected by the size of an implementation. Early software size estimation is essential for good project management. Existing software size models estimate the size of an implementation usually in terms of the number of lines of code. The main drawback of these models is that there is a wide margin of uncertainty as the actual size depends on the type of application and the software development method adopted. To address this drawback, we focus our work on communication protocol, and propose that the size of a formal specification needs to be estimated from an informal specification. This paper presents a two-stage size model for estimating the sizes of a formal communication protocol specification and its implementation, with the model validated using a test data set. The main benefit of this work is that it can give an indication of the likely sizes of both a formal specification and its implementation early at the development stage, giving developers a technique for managing communication software project better.     

PSAMS: a communication protocol specification assessment and measurement system

An obstacle to the uses of software metrics and size models, which we have developed for measuring the complexity and maintainability of a communication protocol specified in Estelle and for estimating the size of its specification and implementation, is the time‐consuming effort in collecting the metrics. To address this problem, a software system called PSAMS (protocol specification assessment and measurement system) for automatically calculating the metrics and sizes of specification and implementation has been developed. This paper describes the design of PSAMS, which provides five functionalities for a communication protocol Estelle specification: exploring its specification, measuring its complexity, assessing its maintainability, estimating its specification size and estimating its implementation size. To demonstrate the usefulness of PSAMS, we have applied it to measure the complexity and maintainability of 10 communication protocol Estelle specifications; the measurement results and decision support information provided by each functionality are presented in this paper. With PSAMS, communication protocol designers and developers are able to assess the complexity of a communication protocol early in the specification stage and have information which helps them manage a communication software project better. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Distance-based software measurement: necessary and sufficient properties for software measures

Axiomatic approaches to software measurement present sets of necessary, but not sufficient measure axioms. The insufficiency of the measure axioms implies that they are useful to invalidate existing software measures, but not to validate them. In this paper, a set of measure axioms is presented whose sufficiency is guaranteed by measurement theory. The axioms referred to are the metric axioms, used in mathematics to define measures of distance. We present a constructive procedure that defines software measures satisfying these axioms. As an illustration of distance-based software measurement, a measure is defined for the aggregation coupling of object classes.     

An open-source,FireWire camera-based,Labview-controlled image acquisition system for automated,dynamic pupillometry and blink detection

The dynamic, accurate measurement of pupil size is extremely valuable for studying a large number of neuronal functions and dysfunctions. Despite tremendous and well-documented progress in image processing techniques for estimating pupil parameters, comparatively little work has been reported on practical hardware issues involved in designing image acquisition systems for pupil analysis. Here, we describe and validate the basic features of such a system which is based on a relatively compact, off-the-shelf, low-cost FireWire digital camera. We successfully implemented two configurable modes of video record: a continuous mode and an event-triggered mode. The interoperability of the whole system is guaranteed by a set of modular software components hosted on a personal computer and written in Labview. An offline analysis suite of image processing algorithms for automatically estimating pupillary and eyelid parameters were assessed using data obtained in human subjects. Our benchmark results show that such measurements can be done in a temporally precise way at a sampling frequency of up to 120 Hz and with an estimated maximum spatial resolution of 0.03 mm. Our software is made available free of charge to the scientific community, allowing end users to either use the software as is or modify it to suit their own needs.     

基于图像测量的香烟滤棒在线检测系统

作者对香烟滤棒的生产过程进行了研究,并提出了一种采用图像测量技术对香烟滤棒的圆周长、圆度误差进行实时检测的技术。本文通过结合笔者开发的香烟滤棒在线检测系统对图像测量软件的开发进行阐述,并通过滤棒生产中的应用验证了系统的有效性、可行性。     

A data mining approach considering missing values for the optimization of semiconductor-manufacturing processes

Due to the rapid development of information technologies, abundant data have become readily available. Data mining techniques have been used for process optimization in many manufacturing processes in automotive, LCD, semiconductor, and steel production, among others. However, a large amount of missing values occurs in the data set due to several causes (e.g., data discarded by gross measurement errors, measurement machine breakdown, routine maintenance, sampling inspection, and sensor failure), which frequently complicate the application of data mining to the data set. This study proposes a new procedure for optimizing processes called missing values-Patient Rule Induction Method (m-PRIM), which handles the missing-values problem systematically and yields considerable process improvement, even if a significant portion of the data set has missing values. A case study in a semiconductor manufacturing process is conducted to illustrate the proposed procedure.     

随机分组抽样下子群体的流大小分布估计

随机分组抽样是网络管理和测量中最常见的抽样方法。已有的研究大都集中在此抽样方法下基于总体的流大小分布估计算法,但一些网络应用更关心总体流量中某个子群体的流大小分布。本文将总体的网络流划分成子群体S和子群体的补集-S,提出了一种在随机分组抽样下运用TCP协议信息的由S与S-共同组成流大小的联合分布的估计算法。实验证明,该算法能够较好地还原子群体及其在总体下的流大小分布的特征;另一方面,通过运用样本流中TCP协议信息,提高了子群体流大小分布估计算法的准确性。     

个人软件过程

该文主要介绍了在软件开发过程中,软件工程师个人怎样通过个人软件过程的测量,建立软件能力参数的基准,并利用估算模型和方法,评估规模和资源,建立合理的实施计划和进度安排,根据设计和编码标准按计划实施,从而降低软件缺陷,保证软件质量。     

Inclusion of Functional and Non-Functional Parameters for the Prediction of Overall Efforts of Mobile Applications.

Size is a major and main parameter for the estimation of efforts and cost of software applications in general and mobile applications in particular and estimating effort, cost and time has been a key step in the life cycle of the software project. In order to create a sound schedule for the project, it is therefore important to have these estimates as soon as possible in the software development life cycle. In past years, many methods have been employed to estimate size and efforts of mobile applications but till now these methods do not meet the expected needs from customer. In this paper, we present a new size measurement method i.e., Mobile COSMIC Function Points (MCFP) based on the COSMIC approach, which is a primary factor for estimation of efforts in mobile application development. This paper analyzes the possibility of using a combination of Functional and Non-functional parameters including both Mobile Technical Complexity Factors (MTCF) and Mobile Environmental Complexity Factors (MECF) for the purpose of mobile application sizing prediction and hence effort estimation. For the purpose of this study, thirty six mobile applications were analyzed and their size and efforts were compared by applying the new effort estimation approach. In this context of a mobile application, few investigations have been performed to compare the effectiveness of COSMIC, FP's and the proposed approach “COSMIC Plus Effort Estimation Model (CPEEM)”. The main goal of this paper is to investigate if the inclusion of Non functional parameters imposes an effect on the functional size of mobile application development. Upon estimating efforts using the proposed approach, the results were promising for mobile applications when compared the results of our approach with the results of the other two approaches     

简化数据流图的功能点分析方法研究

随着软件工程在各个行业的日益深入以及软件规模的日益庞大,在软件生命周期的早期阶段对软件系统进行规模度量显得尤为重要。在需求分析阶段所建立的逻辑模型的基础上,使用E-R图来简化数据流图,并结合功能点分析的度量原理,以简化的数据流图作为度量要素,详细给出了度量简化数据流图的映射规则和度量规则,以实例验证了这些规则的使用方法,简单实用。     

六西格玛在软件过程度量中应用研究综述

现有软件过程度量的标准模型一般只提出如何进行软件过程管理以及应该达到什么样的标准,但没有对客户怎样做,使用哪些方法可以达到这些标准进行具体的阐述。而六西格玛改进提供了一套持续改进现有过程的流程、方法和工具;六西格玛设计是控制产品设计质量突破“五西格玛墙”的有力工具,它更接近于企业的底层经营流程。因而,针对软件企业的自身特点,结合六西格玛,解决软件质量的控制问题,生产出高质量的产品,获得竞争优势,具有十分重要的意义。为此进行了相关文献的综述研究。     

COSMIC-FFP方法的研究及应用

随着我国软件外包行业的日渐兴起,越来越多公司开始注重对软件开发过程的控制,对软件度量的投入也越来越多.阐述了一种基于传统的IFPUG-FPA模型的演进规模估计模型-COSMIC-FFP模型及其应用.并提出了一种基于COSMIC全功能点和ISO 9126的新的定量的度量技术.应用COSMIC全功能点的规则和原理的软件结构度量了基本的交互变量,如耦合、内聚和复杂度.在ISO9126质量标准的基础上,将设计的度量方法应用于度量质量属性,如可维护性、可用性和可信度.