EmPowerTec UML and modeling blog

Hello,

the organizers of the MoDSE 2008 have published a call for papers.

From their website:

“The objective is to present how model-driven evolution can enforce and reduce critical risks and important costs involved in software evolution, by employing high-level abstractions. We aim to present current research works about model-driven evolution and to exchange, discuss and debate about gained experiences, challenges, needs, proposed approaches and innovative solutions around the Model-Driven Software Evolution.”

This is a small, 1/2 day workshop on 2008-04-01 in Athens, Greece.

Best regards,
Andreas

Hello,

the organizers of the Models ‘08 conference have asked for workshop proposals.

From their website:

“The MoDELS series of conferences are devoted to the topic of model-driven engineering, covering both languages and systems used to create complex systems.”

The Models ‘08 takes place from 2008-09-28 to 2008-10-03 in Toulouse, France.

Best regards,
Andreas

Hello,

this is the third posting in a series of posts about the “Current state of modeling”, a focal point on software modeling in the German Computerzeitung.

The third article was written by Andreas Entgelmeier and Rainer Hochecker, both working for IBM Rational:

Basically they say that better communication helps to create better processes. Since the UML improves the communication between the participants of a project it also helps to improve the processes. The UML improves the communication through

• Documentation
  The model captures information about the system and makes it accessible.
• Formalism
  Being formally defined the UML creates a common language for all project participants and thus improves the communication.
• Unambiguousness
  UMLs precisely defined language offers precision that a natural language does not offer
• Abstraction
  By providing different abstraction levels the comprehensibility of the system is improved.

Besides improving communication a model can deliver metrics which are also important to improve the processes. Source code yields much less metrics than a UML model. The authors then throw in a couple of more buzzwords which do not really add content, in my view.

Personal comment:
While the statements about improved documentation are true, these benefits are not for free. If you want to utilize the UMLs formal definition to improve the communication all project members must learn (parts of) this formal definition and that may not be fun for everybody.

The statement about using metrics derived from models for improving processes also seems a bit strange to me. Usually processes (for software development projects) are concerned with the way the software is developed, e.g. estimation, resource allocation, defining milestones and deliverables, tracking progress and so on. The characteristics of the software are usually only affected as far as measurable quality criteria (number of error reports, number of findings of static and dynamic code checkers, number of executed/failed automatic tests, rate of code coverage and so on) can be derived. I’ve never saw a process definition discussing the depth of the inheritance hierarchy, e.g.

Also depending on your development style it might be more appropriate to derive metrics from the model but I don’t buy the authors arguments that the source code “provides much less metrics then the model”. In particular the examples mentioned in the article – depth of inheritance hierarchy, package dependency, number of classes – could all be easily derived from the source code.

In summary, the article seems to be mostly a sales blurb.

Best regards,
Andreas

Technorati Tags: modeling

Hello,

the JOT (Journal of Object Technology) has published it’s new issue 1, volume 7.

It contains (among other content) two UML related articles:

“Applying Model Checking to Concurrent UML Models”
By Patrice Gagnon, Farid Mokhati, Mourad Badri

Abstract from the authors:
The formal and object-oriented language Maude, based on rewriting logic, supports formal specification and programming of concurrent systems, as well as model checking. We focus on UML class, state and communication diagrams. The major motivations of this work are: (1) translating concurrent UML diagrams into a Maude formal specification and (2) applying model checking to the generated specifications. The approach is illustrated using a concrete case study.

“UML and Object Oriented Drama”
By Luca Vetti Tagliati, Carlo Caloro

Abstract from the authors:
Daily interdisciplinary tests and hybridisations occur among the different contemporary arts; theatre meets new technologies more and more frequently and it turns out to be a fascinating and complex meeting. As a consequence, the problem of identifying new tools that the dramatist and/or director can use to analyze a text arises. Among these tools, it is important to select which is to be used in order to facilitate the sharing of the project among the different participants (director, dramatist, actors, etc.). The discipline of computer science can provide us with a valid solution to this problem, where comparable problems are, typically, solved by means of UML.

Best regards,
Andreas

Technorati Tags: modeling, UML

Hello,

On the puml mailing list a call for papers for the ECDMA 2008 was published.

From the website:

ECMDA-FA is dedicated to furthering the state of knowledge and fostering the industrialisation of the MDA methodology. Its focus is on engaging the key European research and industrial figures in a dialogue which will result in a stronger, more efficient industry, producing more reliable software on the basis of state-of-the-art research results. The 2008 conference is organised in two tracks of interest dealing with the foundations and applications of MDA. There will be additional workshops and tools and poster exhibitions on these subjects.

Best regards,
Andreas

Technorati Tags: ECDMA

Hello,

as announced on the yahoogroups mda-discussion mailing list there are still about 30 days left if you want to submit a paper for the Tools 2008 conference. The conference itself will take place on June 30th to July 4, 2008 in Zurich.

From the webpage:

“TOOLS has broadened its scope beyond the original topics of object technology and component-based development to encompass all modern, practical approaches to software development, in keeping with the traditional TOOLS spirit of technical excellence, focus on practicality, combination of theory and applications, and reliance on the best experts from academia and industry.”

The Tools 2008 also hosts the Conference on Software Engineering Approaches For Offshore and Outsourced Development (SEAFOOD 2008) and the conference on Model Transformation (ICMT 2008).

Seems like you can get a wealth of information and contacts there.

Best regards,
Andreas

Hello,

this is the second posting in a series of posts about the “Current state of modeling”, a focal point on software modeling in the German Computerzeitung.

This is a short article written by Franz Graser, an editor of the Computerzeitung:

• There was a hype about modeling and model based software development and as with all hypes there have been disappointed expectations as people realized that model based development was not the long awaited silver bullet.
• For example, a useful generation of source code from a model requires a serious amount of preparation and thus is not appropriate for all types of projects.
• In addition, the complexity and size of the UML2 language definition discourages many interested parties.
• But there are also more and more tools that support model based software development.
• Model based testing also has much to offer.

While this article is exceptionally shallow it is basically consistent with my own perception. Starting approximately 1990 more and more modeling tools appeared, first proprietary (anyone remembers ObjectOry?), then based on UML, with Rational Rose as market leader. Many of these tools ended as Shelfware, either because they where barely usable or because they were imposed by some dumb manager.

Now the bad tools have disappeared and the good tools have matured. With Java and .NET new, powerful implementation platforms are available now. The understanding, how model based software development can be done is much better since standards have been developed and pragmatic open source projects with lively communities have emerged (e.g. Eclipse Modeling Framework, AndroMDA, openArchitectureWare, ModelWare) . A good indicator for the prospect of model based software development is Microsoft’s effort in this area – its DSL tools and Oslo initiative (and we all know that Microsoft is often slow in following trends).

Best regards,
Andreas

Technorati Tags: modeling, MDA