Visual modeling for Web 2.0 applications using model driven architecture approach

Mashup is now a major Web 2.0 technology because, rather than simply aggregating Web content, it combines various Web resources from other websites. Considering Web 2.0 mashups from a software engineering perspective, a visual modeling approach is crucial. Current Web 2.0 developments, however, do not support a conceptual modelling for Web 2.0 applications. This leads to inefficient development processes and a low potential for reuse. The Unified Modeling Language (UML) is a general-purpose modeling language that may be used in widely varying application domains. However, UML often lacks elements for modeling and representing concrete concepts of specific domains such as Web 2.0 mashup modeling. To address these shortcomings, this study proposes Web2.0MUML, a Model Driven Architecture (MDA) approach and UML profile for modeling Web 2.0 mashups. The Web2.0MUML profile extends UML by using a profile mechanism for Web 2.0 mashup modeling that presents the relevant structural properties of Web 2.0 at the conceptual level.     

Extending UML to model Web 2.0‐based context‐aware applications

Web 2.0 Mashups offer entirely new opportunities for context‐aware application (CAA) developers by integrating Web 2.0 technologies to facilitate interoperability among heterogeneous context‐aware systems. From a software engineering perspective, a visualized approach for Web 2.0‐based CAA modeling is crucial. Current CAA development, however, cannot provide a conceptual model for Web 2.0‐based CAA. Therefore, the development efficiency and potential for reuse are decreased. The UML is a general purpose modeling language with potential for use in many application domains. However, UML often lacks elements needed to model concepts in specific domains, such as Web 2.0‐based CAA modeling. To address the above issues, this study presents the Web 2.0‐based CAA UML profile, a UML profile for modeling Web 2.0‐based CAA. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A Formal Object Approach to the Design of ZML

This paper addresses two issues: how formal object modeling techniques facilitate the XML application development and how XML technology helps formal/graphical software design process. In particular, the paper presents a XML/XSL approach to the development of a web environment for Z family languages (Z/Object-Z/TCOZ). The projection techniques and tools from object-oriented Z (in XML) to UML (in XMI) are developed using XSL Transformations (XSLT). Furthermore, object-oriented Z is used to specify and design the essential functionalities of the web environment and the projection tools to UML. In a sense, the paper also demonstrates a formal object approach to modeling XML applications.     

XML的数据建模及其应用

分析了XML文档在应用中存在的静态和动态特性，提出了静态模型和动态模型的建模准则，并利用UML将XML文档的开发融入软件统一开发过程中。重点讨论如何通过数据建模设计出一个良好的XML文档，并简单介绍了一个XML文档实例。     

Fuzzy XML data modeling with the UML and relational data models

Information imprecision and uncertainty exist in many real-world applications and for this reason fuzzy data modeling has been extensively investigated in various data models. Currently, huge amounts of electronic data are available on the Internet, and XML has been the de facto standard of information representation and exchange over the Web. This paper focuses on fuzzy XML data modeling, which is mainly involved in the representation model of the fuzzy XML, its conceptual design, and its storage in databases. Based on “possibility distribution theory”, we developed this fuzzy XML data model. We developed this fuzzy UML data model to design the fuzzy XML model conceptually. We investigated the formal conversions from the fuzzy UML model to the fuzzy XML model and the formal mapping from the fuzzy XML model to the fuzzy relational databases.     

Modeling safety and airworthiness (RTCA DO-178B) information: conceptual model and UML profile

Several safety-related standards exist for developing and certifying safety-critical systems. System safety assessments are common practice and system certification according to a standard requires submitting relevant system safety information to appropriate authorities. The RTCA DO-178B standard is a software quality assurance, safety-related standard for the development of software aspects of aerospace systems. This research introduces an approach to improve communication and collaboration among safety engineers, software engineers, and certification authorities in the context of RTCA DO-178B. This is achieved by utilizing a Unified Modeling Language (UML) profile that allows software engineers to model safety-related concepts and properties in UML, the de facto software modeling standard. A conceptual meta-model is defined based on RTCA DO-178B, and then a corresponding UML profile, which we call SafeUML, is designed to enable its precise modeling. We show how SafeUML improves communication by, for example, allowing monitoring implementation of safety requirements during the development process, and supporting system certification per RTCA DO-178B. This is enabled through automatic generation of safety and certification-related information from UML models. We validate this approach through a case study on developing an aircraft’s navigation controller subsystem.     

基于XML的电子病历数据模式研究

研究提出了基于XML的电子病历数据的建模方法:首先,抽象出电子病历系统中主要数据概念,并将其数据结构和关系图形化,建立其概念模型;然后,根据建立的概念模型到UML的映射机制,建立电子病历数据UML对象模型;最后,根据定义的UML模型到XML Schema的映射机制,实现UML方法描述的信息数据对象模型到XML Schema的转换,从而建立了基于XML Schema的电子病历数据模式.     

A UML profile for multidimensional modeling in data warehouses

The multidimensional (MD) modeling, which is the foundation of data warehouses (DWs), MD databases, and On-Line Analytical Processing (OLAP) applications, is based on several properties different from those in traditional database modeling. In the past few years, there have been some proposals, providing their own formal and graphical notations, for representing the main MD properties at the conceptual level. However, unfortunately none of them has been accepted as a standard for conceptual MD modeling.

In this paper, we present an extension of the Unified Modeling Language (UML) using a UML profile. This profile is defined by a set of stereotypes, constraints and tagged values to elegantly represent main MD properties at the conceptual level. We make use of the Object Constraint Language (OCL) to specify the constraints attached to the defined stereotypes, thereby avoiding an arbitrary use of these stereotypes. We have based our proposal in UML for two main reasons: (i) UML is a well known standard modeling language known by most database designers, thereby designers can avoid learning a new notation, and (ii) UML can be easily extended so that it can be tailored for a specific domain with concrete peculiarities such as the multidimensional modeling for data warehouses. Moreover, our proposal is Model Driven Architecture (MDA) compliant and we use the Query View Transformation (QVT) approach for an automatic generation of the implementation in a target platform. Throughout the paper, we will describe how to easily accomplish the MD modeling of DWs at the conceptual level. Finally, we show how to use our extension in Rational Rose for MD modeling.     

A dependability profile within MARTE

The importance of assessing software non-functional properties (NFP) beside the functional ones is well accepted in the software engineering community. In particular, dependability is a NFP that should be assessed early in the software life-cycle by evaluating the system behaviour under different fault assumptions. Dependability-specific modeling and analysis techniques include for example Failure Mode and Effect Analysis for qualitative evaluation, stochastic Petri nets for quantitative evaluation, and fault trees for both forms of evaluation. Unified Modeling Language (UML) may be specialized for different domains by using the profile mechanism. For example, the MARTE profile extends UML with concepts for modeling and quantitative analysis of real-time and embedded systems (more specifically, for schedulability and performance analysis). This paper proposes to add to MARTE a profile for dependability analysis and modeling (DAM). A case study of an intrusion-tolerant message service will offer insight on how the MARTE-DAM profile can be used to derive a stochastic Petri net model for performance and dependability assessment.     

XML Schema Modeling through UML Class Diagram

A three-step XML Schema modeling method is presented, namely first establishing a diagram of conceptual modeling, then transforming it to UML class diagram and finally mapping it to XML Schema. A case study of handling furniture design data is given to illustrate the detail of conversion process.     

基于UML模型的场景测试技术

UML代表着软件建模的发展趋势,对基于UML模型的测试技术研究具有现实意义。本文采用基于UML模型的场景测试技术生成测试用例。     

元建模技术研究进展

随着UML(unified modeling language)与MDA(model driven architecture)的兴起和流行,模型已经成为软件开发的核心制品,而模型重要性的提升使得建模语言以及定义建模语言的元模型逐渐成为软件开发中的一个核心要素.软件开发往往涉及多个领域,而不同的领域往往需要不同的建模语言及其建模工具.但是,手工地为不同的建模语言开发建模工具代价高昂.元建模技术是解决这个问题的方法之一,通过元建模,可以根据领域需要定制合适的元模型以定义领域建模语言,进而自动生成支持该建模语言的建模工具.大量的工程实践表明,与领域建模以及MDA相结合,元建模可以大幅度地提高软件开发效率,基于元建模的MDA比基于通用建模语言的MDA更具潜力.在最近的几年中,元建模及其相关技术发展迅猛,不但在技术上取得了长足的进步,而且在产业界也开始出现大规模的商业应用.总结了元建模的现有研究成果,分析和比较了现有元建模工具,探讨了元建模的可能发展方向.对元建模中存在的问题进行分析,并指出了可能的解决途径.     

基于XML的多维概念模型的研究

对于数据仓库概念模型的研究,目前缺乏统一的标准,不利于模型的交流与共享。基于XML的多维概念模型利用XML这一标准交换语言,不仅很好地解决了这一问题,而且也为元数据的集成与共享打下了基础。针对多维模型的特点,定义了一个特定的DTD,它能够完整地描述多维概念模型的各种语义特征,并针对基于UML的多维概念建模方法,定义了基于XML的多维概念模型与基于UML类图的多维概念模型的映射方法,为其应用奠定了实践基础。     

面向方面的UML建模

为了解决软件开发中建模对于系统级关注点被忽略的问题,提出了面向方面的UML建模模型。对面向方面技术和UML进行全面介绍,使其了解它们的主要构成及参数,并基于AspectJ语言扩展UML中的特征文件(profile),来实现面向方面UML建模(AUML)。该扩展是UML体系的一种扩充,它既结合了UML面向对象的特点,又对面向方面横切关注点在语义和结构上进行了规范。最后就图书管理系统进行举例说明,总结了面向方面软件开发(AOSD)profile的参数。     

A generic framework for modeling heterogeneous real-time systems

Complex real-time systems usually consist of heterogeneous components. These components interact with different semantics. Modeling these systems normally need integrating several domain-specific tools such as UML, Simulink. But interchanging data between these tools is very difficult. UML is a standard modeling language for object-oriented software development, used more and more in real-time domain. It provides several extensibility mechanisms to allow modeling special domains. This paper presents a generic framework, which is based on UML notations and metamodels, for heterogeneous modeling real-time systems. So engineers from different domains can work together on a unified platform.     

基于UML的图书管理系统的建模过程

UML是一种建模语言,它取代软件界的众多分析和设计方法,已经成为被业界认可的标准建模语言,在软件领域和其他领域都起着举足轻重的作用。UML支持从需求分析、系统设计到具体实现的软件开发全过程。本文通过对图书管理系统的分析,介绍UML的基本概念和建模过程,从而说明UML在实际问题中的应用。     

基于UML的XML建模方法

针对由业务模型直接定义XML Schema存在较多的困难，提出了一种把UML技术用于XML Schema建模的方法。该方法通过领域建模定义了3层模型，即概念层模型、逻辑层模型和实现层模型，分别对应于业务模型的分析、设计及实现阶段，并对各层模型之间的转换方法进行了有效的探讨。     

Bridging the gap between information architecture analysis and software engineering in interactive web application development

Web development teams comprise non-computer experts working on the conceptual modeling of non-functional aspects in software applications. Later on, such conceptual information is processed by analysts and software engineers to face the technical phases of the software project. However, this information transfer is often difficult to automate since the information processed by the different professionals involves different abstraction levels, as well as important cost and effort that need to be considered. The main aim of this research is to minimize these problems by increasing automation and interoperability in the development of interactive web applications. To take up this challenge, we have created and evaluated a tool that aims at bridging the gap between the conceptual definitions of web contents–i.e., the information architecture, and the UML elements for analysis and design required by software engineers, connecting functional and non-functional information to achieve the rest of technical activities during the software development process.     

Evolution of XML schemas and documents from stereotyped UML class models: A traceable approach

Context

UML and XML are two of the most commonly used languages in software engineering processes. One of the most critical of these processes is that of model evolution and maintenance. More specifically, when an XML schema is modified, the changes should be propagated to the corresponding XML documents, which must conform with the new, modified schema.

Objective

The goal of this paper is to provide an evolution framework by which the XML schema and documents are incrementally updated according to the changes in the conceptual model (expressed as a UML class model). In this framework, we include the transformation and evolution of UML profiles specified in UML class models because they are widely used to capture domain specific semantics.

Method

We have followed a metamodeling approach which allowed us to achieve a language independent framework, not tied to the specific case of UML-XML. Besides, our proposal considers a traceability setting as a key aspect of the transformation process which allows changes to be propagated from UML class models to both XML schemas and documents.

Results

As a general framework, we propose a Generic Evolution Architecture (GEA) for the model-driven engineering context. Within this architecture and for the particular case of the UML-to-XML setting, our contribution is a UML-to-XML framework that, to our knowledge, is the only approach that incorporates the following four characteristics. Firstly, the evolution tasks are carried out in a conceptual model. Secondly, our approach includes the transformation to XML of UML profiles. Thirdly, the proposal allows stereotyped UML class models to be evolved, propagating changes to XML schemas and documents in such a way that the different elements are kept in synch. Finally, we propose a traceability setting that enables evolution tasks to be performed seamlessly.

Conclusions

Generic frameworks such as that proposed in this paper help to reduce the work overload experienced by software engineers in keeping different software artifacts synchronized.