A method for the definition of integrity constraints in object-oriented conceptual modeling languages

We propose a new method that eases the definition of integrity constraints in object-oriented conceptual modeling languages. The essence of the method is to represent constraints by special operations that we call constraint operations. The formal specification of these operations is the definition of the corresponding constraints. The method allows the specialization of constraints and the definition of exceptions. The main application of the method is for static constraints. However, a variant of it can also be applied for creation-time and deletion-time constraints, two particular classes of temporal constraints. The method can be adapted to any object-oriented language, and we show its adaptation to the UML. We also show that our method has several advantages over existing methods.     

Constraint-based functional design verification for conceptual design

In the early stages of mechanical product design, designers not only need to determine the physical structure of the design, but also need to verify that the design functions properly with the allowable values or ranges of values of the relevant design attributes. Existing work on design verification is either aimed at specific design problems, which are generally carried out at the downstream design stages, or aimed at deriving design behavior using a behavioral simulation approach. Functional design verification has largely been neglected by the research society. To tackle this problem, we propose a generic constraint-based approach that is based on a comprehensive functional design model. A number of strategies are proposed for the approach, including strategies for design variables reduction, variable dependency graph development, constraint propagation, and dynamic verification of a design over an assigned set of attributes (variables). The approach is implemented as part of a functional modeling design environment. A simple design verification case is presented to illustrate our approach.     

A framework for the design and verification of software measurement methods

At the core of any engineering discipline is the use of measures, based on ISO standards or on widely recognized conventions, for the development and analysis of the artifacts produced by engineers. In the software domain, many alternatives have been proposed to measure the same attributes, but there is no consensus on a framework for how to analyze or choose among these measures. Furthermore, there is often not even a consensus on the characteristics of the attributes to be measured.In this paper, a framework is proposed for a software measurement life cycle with a particular focus on the design phase of a software measure. The framework includes definitions of the verification criteria that can be used to understand the stages of software measurement design. This framework also integrates the different perspectives of existing measurement approaches. In addition to inputs from the software measurement literature the framework integrates the concepts and vocabulary of metrology. This metrological approach provides a clear definition of the concepts, as well as the activities and products, related to measurement. The aim is to give an integrated view, involving the practical side and the theoretical side, as well as the basic underlying concepts of measurement.     

A family of experiments to evaluate a functional size measurement procedure for Web applications

The objective of this paper is to empirically evaluate OOmFPWeb, a functional size measurement procedure for Web applications. We analyzed four data sets from a family of experiments conducted in Spain, Argentina and Austria. Results showed that OOmFPWeb is efficient when compared to current industry practices. OOmFPWeb produced reproducible functional size measurements and was perceived as easy to use and useful by the study participants, who also expressed their intention to use OOmFPWeb in the future. The analysis further supports the validity and reliability of the technology acceptance model (TAM)-based evaluation instrument used in the study.     

An experimental study on the conversion between IFPUG and UCP functional size measurement units

The use of functional size measurement （FSM） methods in software development organizations is growing during the years. Also, object oriented （OO） techniques have become quite a standard to design the software and, in particular, Use Cases is one of the most used techniques to specify functional requirements. Main FSM methods do not include specific rules to measure the software functionality from its Use Cases analysis. To deal with this issue some other methods like Kramer＇s functional measurement method have been developed. Therefore, one of the main issues for those organizations willing to use OO functional measurement method in order to facilitate the use cases count procedure is how to convert their portfolio functional size from the previously adopted FSM method towards the new method. The objective of this research is to find a statistical relationship for converting the software functional size units measured by the International Function Point Users Group （IFPUG） function point analysis （FPA） method into Kramer-Smith＇s use cases points （UCP） method and vice versa. Methodologies for a correct data gathering are proposed and results obtained are analyzed to draw the linear and non-linear equations for this correlation. Finally, a conversion factor and corresponding conversion intervals are given to establish the statistical relationship.     

一种通用的软件功能规模度量模型

功能规模度量（FSM）方法通过量化用户功能需求(FUR)而得到软件功能规模。针对不同的功能规模度量方法都是使用不同的抽象来描述一个软件系统的问题,提出了一种通用的FSM模型。根据软件系统的抽象模型,首先对度量所涉及的数据组和事务进行了泛化,然后以IFPUG FPA为例详细说明了该通用模型和FPA之间的转换过程,最后给出了度量过程的算法描述。     

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.     

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.     

Theoretical and practical issues in evaluating the quality of conceptual models: current state and future directions

An international standard has now been established for evaluating the quality of software products. However there is no equivalent standard for evaluating the quality of conceptual models. While a range of quality frameworks have been proposed in the literature, none of these have been widely accepted in practice and none has emerged as a potential standard. As a result, conceptual models continue to be evaluated in practice in an ad hoc way, based on common sense, subjective opinions and experience. For conceptual modelling to progress from an “art” to an engineering discipline, quality standards need to be defined, agreed and applied in practice. This paper conducts a review of research in conceptual model quality and identifies the major theoretical and practical issues which need to be addressed. We consider how conceptual model quality frameworks can be structured, how they can be developed, how they can be empirically validated and how to achieve acceptance in practice. We argue that the current proliferation of quality frameworks is counterproductive to the progress of the field, and that researchers and practitioners should work together to establish a common standard (or standards) for conceptual model quality. Finally, we describe some initial efforts towards developing a common standard for data model quality, which may provide a model for future standardisation efforts.     

A method of object-oriented information management for layout design

During the layout design process, the spatial arrangement of components in an engineering system is developed in order to meet design goals and constraints. Proper organization of the information involved in this process enhances the quality of layout designs. The organization of information is accomplished through the use of the techniques and methods existing in the information management field. Using the object-oriented technique, a method was developed to guide the design of information management systems that support the layout design process. The method was developed in a case study involving, the layout design of automobile engine bay compoenents.     

A measurement method for sizing the structure of UML sequence diagrams

ContextThe COSMIC functional size measurement method on UML diagrams has been investigated as a means to estimate the software effort early in the software development life cycle. Like other functional size measurement methods, the COSMIC method takes into account the data movements in the UML sequence diagrams for example, but does not consider the data manipulations in the control structure. This paper explores software sizing at a finer level of granularity by taking into account the structural aspect of a sequence diagram in order to quantify its structural size. These functional and structural sizes can then be used as distinct independent variables to improve effort estimation models.ObjectiveThe objective is to design an improved measurement of the size of the UML sequence diagrams by taking into account the data manipulations represented by the structure of the sequence diagram, which will be referred to as their structural size.MethodWhile the design of COSMIC defines the functional size of a functional process at a high level of granularity (i.e. the data movements), the structural size of a sequence diagram is defined at a finer level of granularity: the size of the flow graph of their control structure described through the alt, opt and loop constructs. This new measurement method was designed by following the process recommended in Software Metrics and Software Metrology (Abran, 2010).ResultsThe size of sequence diagrams can now be measured from two perspectives, both functional and structural, and at different levels of granularity with distinct measurement units.ConclusionIt is now feasible to measure the size of functional requirements at two levels of granularity: at an abstract level, the software functional size can be measured in terms of COSMIC Function Point (CFP) units; and at a detailed level, the software structural size can be measured in terms of Control Structure Manipulation (CSM) units. These measures represent complementary aspects of software size and can be used as distinct independent variables to improve effort estimation models.     

A framework for empirical evaluation of conceptual modeling techniques

The paper presents a framework for the empirical evaluation of conceptual modeling techniques used in requirements engineering. The framework is based on the notion that modeling techniques should be compared via their underlying grammars. The framework identifies two types of dimensions in empirical comparisons—affecting and affected dimensions. The affecting dimensions provide guidance for task definition, independent variables and controls, while the affected dimensions define the possible mediating variables and dependent variables. In particular, the framework addresses the dependence between the modeling task—model creation and model interpretation—and the performance measures of the modeling grammar. The utility of the framework is demonstrated by using it to categorize existing work on evaluating modeling techniques. The paper also discusses theoretical foundations that can guide hypothesis generation and measurement of variables. Finally, the paper addresses possible levels for categorical variables and ways to measure interval variables, especially the grammar performance measures.     

A geometric modelling framework for conceptual structural design from early digital architectural models

Computer support for conceptual structural design is still ineffective. This is due, in part, to the fact that current computer applications do not recognize that structural design and architectural design are highly interdependent processes, particularly at the early stages. The goal of this research is to assist structural engineers at the conceptual stage with early digital architectural models. This paper presents a geometric modeling framework for facilitating the engineers’ interactions with architectural models in order to detect potential structural problems, uncover opportunities, respect constraints, and ultimately synthesize structural solutions interactively with architectural models. It consists of a process model, a representation model and synthesis algorithms to assist the engineer on demand at different stages of the design process. The process model follows a top-down approach for design refinements. The representation model describes the structural system as a hierarchy of entities with architectural counterparts. The algorithms rely on geometric and topologic relationships between entities in the architectural model and a partial structural model to help advance the synthesis process. A prototype system called StAr (Structure-Architecture) implements this framework. A case study illustrates how the framework can be used to support the conceptual structural design process.     

A new programming paradigm for engineering design software

Currently available programming and database systems are insufficient for engineering applications. The authors contend that a logical progression from a formal conceptual model of the engineering domain to a computational model will lead to new programming paradigms capable of directly supporting engineering applications in a rigorous, concise manner. A formal domain model devised by the authors, theHybrid Model (HM) of design information, is briefly introduced. It is an extension of axiomatic set theory and is discussed in detail elsewhere. HM forms the basis ofDesigner, a prototype-based object-oriented programming language supporting a signature-based canonical message-passing mechanism and multiple inheritance. Designer is implemented using the Scheme programming language. Because Designer satisfies a formal conceptual model, and because it is based on a formally specified language, its robustness and logical validity are superior to those of other languages not founded on formal principles. Designer combines concepts of functional and object-oriented programming to provide the formal rigor and flexibility to capture the complex and strongly interrelated information that designers use. Examples demonstrate how Designer represents design information. The results of the authors' research indicate that Designer can capture design information (including aspects of functional requirements and design intent) effectively and efficiently.     

Ontologies for conceptual modeling: their creation, use, and management

Although ontologies have been proposed as an important and natural means of representing real world knowledge for the development of database designs, most ontology creation is not carried out systematically. To be truly useful, a repository of ontologies, organized by application domain is needed, along with procedures for creating and integrating ontologies into database design methodologies. This research proposes a methodology for creating and managing domain ontologies. An architecture for an ontology management system is presented and implemented in a prototype. Empirical validation of the prototype demonstrates the effectiveness of the research.     

A contradiction solving method for complex product conceptual design based on deep learning and technological evolution patterns

Contradictions caused by the various design constraints present increasing challenges to efficiency and innovation in product development. TRIZ provides Inventive Principles (IPs) and Contradiction Matrix that are the most frequently applied in conflict resolution. However, the high-level abstraction and subjective selection of IPs inhibit achieving the transformation process from paradoxical states to physical structures. To fill this gap, a contradiction solving method by integrating deep learning and technological evolution patterns for product conceptual design is proposed, which illustrates the mechanism of contradiction transition from the perspective of system evolution and supplies a systematic and model-based design approach. Firstly, generic engineering parameters are extracted to define the underlying contradictions transformed from critical defects which are found out through function modeling and root-conflict analysis. Then, a fully-connected deep neural network with excellent performance is developed to uncover the non-linear relationships between engineering parameters and evolution patterns. Finally, an evolution tree based on the predicted patterns is constructed to visualize transformation potentials of a technical system and help designers generate innovative specific solutions. In addition, a case study concerning design conflict resolution for beat-up system of three-dimensional tubular weaving machine is used to validate the adaptability and reliability of the proposed approach.     

A quantitative aesthetic measurement method for product appearance design

Product appearance is one of the crucial factors that influence consumers’ purchase decisions. The attractiveness of product appearance is mainly determined by the inherent aesthetics of the design composition related to the arrangement of visual design elements. Hence, it is critical to study and improve the arrangement of visual design elements for product appearance design. Strategies that apply aesthetic design principles to assist designers in effectively arranging visual design elements are widely acknowledged in both academia and industry. However, applying aesthetic design principles relies heavily on the designer’s perception and experience, while it is rather challenging for novice designers. Meanwhile, it is hard to measure and quantify design aesthetics in designing artefacts when designers refer to existing successful designs. In this regard, this study aims to introduce a method that assists designers in applying aesthetic design principles to improve the attractiveness of product appearance. Furthermore, formulas for aesthetic measurement based on aesthetic design principles are also developed, and it makes an early attempt to provide quantified aesthetic measurements of design artefacts. A case study on camera design was conducted to demonstrate the merits of the proposed method where the improved strategies for the camera appearance design offer insights for concept generation in product appearance design based on aesthetic design principles.     

Visual knowledge specification for conceptual design: Definition and tool support

Current CAD tools are not able to support the conceptual design phase, and none of them provides a consistency analysis for sketches produced by architects. This phase is fundamental and crucial for the whole design and construction process of a building. To give architects a better support, we developed a CAD tool for conceptual design and a knowledge specification tool. The knowledge is specific to one class of buildings and it can be reused. Based on a dynamic and domain-specific knowledge ontology, different types of design rules formalize this knowledge in a graph-based form. An expressive visual language provides a user-friendly, human readable representation. Finally, a consistency analysis tool enables conceptual designs to be checked against this formal conceptual knowledge.In this article, we concentrate on the knowledge specification part. For that, we introduce the concepts and usage of a novel visual language and describe its semantics. To demonstrate the usability of our approach, two graph-based visual tools for knowledge specification and conceptual design are explained.     

Cybersecurity vulnerability management: A conceptual ontology and cyber intelligence alert system

Effective vulnerability management requires the integration of vulnerability information available on multiple sources, including social media. The information could be used to inform common users about impending vulnerabilities and countermeasures. First, we present the Cybersecurity Vulnerability Ontology (CVO), a conceptual model for formal knowledge representation of the vulnerability management domain. Second, we utilize the CVO to design a Cyber Intelligence Alert (CIA) system that issues cyber alerts about vulnerabilities and countermeasures. We rigorously evaluated the CVO as well as the accuracy, performance, and usefulness of the CIA system. Key contributions of this study to research and practice are discussed.     

Sample size calculations for a functional human motion analysis: Application to vehicle ingress discomfort prediction

The ease of entering a vehicle, known as ingress, is one of the important ergonomic factors that car manufacturers consider during the process of vehicle design. Manufacturers frequently conduct human subject tests to assess ingress discomfort for different vehicle designs. Using subject tests, manufacturers are able to estimate the proportion of participants that report that they are discomfortable entering a vehicle, referred to in this paper as fraction disaccommodated (FD). Manufacturers then conduct statistical tests in order to determine if the FD of two vehicle designs are significantly different, and to determine the required sample size in testing the FD difference between two vehicle designs under pre-specified testing power. Since conducting human subject tests is often expensive and time consuming, another alternative is to estimate the FD using simulated human motion data. Determining the number of simulations that is required is an important statistical question that is dependent on the prediction performance of the simulation analysis. In this paper, a dual bootstrap approach is proposed to obtain the standard deviation of the estimated FD based on functional predictors. This standard deviation is then used to calculate the power in testing the difference between two estimated FDs.