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In recent years, a number of laws and regulations (such as the Basel II accord or SOX) demand that organizations record certain activities or decisions to fulfill legally enforced reporting duties. Most of these regulations have a direct impact on the information systems that support an organization's business processes. Therefore, the definition of audit requirements at the modeling-level is an important prerequisite for the thorough implementation and enforcement of corresponding policies in a software system. In this paper, we present a UML extension for the specification of audit properties. The extension is generic and can be applied to a wide variety of UML elements. In a model-driven development (MDD) approach, our extension can be used to generate corresponding audit rules via model transformations. (author's abstract)

We have developed a tool that can create a Java code generator for a behavioural modelling notation given only a description of the notation's semantics as a set of parameters. This description is based on template semantics, which has previously been used to describe a wide variety of notations. As a result, we have a technique for generating Java code for models written in any notation describable in template semantics. Since template semantics allows for models containing nondeterminism, we introduce mechanisms for eliminating this nondeterminism when generating code. We describe Java implementations of several template-semantics composition operators that have no natural Java representations and give some techniques for optimizing the generated code without sacrificing correctness. The efficiency of our generated code is comparable to that of commercial notation-specific code generators.

We have developed a tool that can create a Java code generator for a behavioural modelling notation given only a description of the notation's semantics as a set of parameters. This description is based on template semantics, which has previously been used to describe a wide variety of notations. As a result, we have a technique for generating Java code for models written in any notation describable in template semantics. Since template semantics allows for models containing nondeterminism, we introduce mechanisms for eliminating this nondeterminism when generating code. We describe Java implementations of several template-semantics composition operators that have no natural Java representations and give some techniques for optimizing the generated code without sacrificing correctness. The efficiency of our generated code is comparable to that of commercial notation-specific code generators.

In this thesis, we present an abstract meta-model for model driven development of web applications targeting multiple platforms. We review the existing technologies and the related work in order to obtain a list of requirements for such an abstract model. The abstract model is built by extending an existing UML-based model for web applications. We demonstrate that it is possible to map this abstract model to more than one specific development platform by providing transformations for these mappings. We also lay out the general outline of a model-driven process based on the proposed abstract model. The abstract model and the model-driven process are supported by a set of tools, case studies and a visual modeling notation. Model-driven techniques have been used in the area of web development to a great extent. Most of the existing approaches are tuned toward specific platforms or develop only certain parts of web applications. These approaches generally use meta-models adapted to their targeted platforms. In order to flexibly target multiple platforms, the level of abstraction of the meta-model must be raised. Such a meta-model must allow the description of relevant features of web applications independently from the specificities of specific platforms. Additionally, transformations mapping from abstract to specific web descriptions must be expressible in a flexible way. In this thesis, we propose such an abstract meta-model. Mappings that transform abstract models to specific platforms are also presented. Different benefits can be foreseen from this approach. By relieving developers from low-level platform-specific related design, the approach has the potential to shift the development task to issues related to business needs. Another benefit is shortened development time. This could help web developers to overcome the problem of schedule delays, which is recognized as one of the top five most-cited problems with large-scale web systems. The approach is specifically suitable for information-intensive web-based systems. These applications typically involve large data stores accessed through a web interface. A distinctive aspect of this approach is its use of a specification of the data mapping as part of its high-level input. More importantly, the common features required to process data and communicate data objects between different layers and components are targeted.

In this thesis, we present an abstract meta-model for model driven development of web applications targeting multiple platforms. We review the existing technologies and the related work in order to obtain a list of requirements for such an abstract model. The abstract model is built by extending an existing UML-based model for web applications. We demonstrate that it is possible to map this abstract model to more than one specific development platform by providing transformations for these mappings. We also lay out the general outline of a model-driven process based on the proposed abstract model. The abstract model and the model-driven process are supported by a set of tools, case studies and a visual modeling notation. Model-driven techniques have been used in the area of web development to a great extent. Most of the existing approaches are tuned toward specific platforms or develop only certain parts of web applications. These approaches generally use meta-models adapted to their targeted platforms. In order to flexibly target multiple platforms, the level of abstraction of the meta-model must be raised. Such a meta-model must allow the description of relevant features of web applications independently from the specificities of specific platforms. Additionally, transformations mapping from abstract to specific web descriptions must be expressible in a flexible way. In this thesis, we propose such an abstract meta-model. Mappings that transform abstract models to specific platforms are also presented. Different benefits can be foreseen from this approach. By relieving developers from low-level platform-specific related design, the approach has the potential to shift the development task to issues related to business needs. Another benefit is shortened development time. This could help web developers to overcome the problem of schedule delays, which is recognized as one of the top five most-cited problems with large-scale web systems. The approach is specifically suitable for information-intensive web-based systems. These applications typically involve large data stores accessed through a web interface. A distinctive aspect of this approach is its use of a specification of the data mapping as part of its high-level input. More importantly, the common features required to process data and communicate data objects between different layers and components are targeted.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-12T15:51:08Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 arquivo2011_1.pdf: 1679074 bytes, checksum: c82d3e4381d7c70bcfaffe3bf1eddd78 (MD5) license.txt: 1748 bytes, checksum: 8a4605be74aa9ea9d79846c1fba20a33 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Como qualquer outra tarefa evolucionária, a aplicação de refatoramentos em software orientado a objetos normalmente afeta código-fonte e seus modelos relacionados, aumentando a dificuldade de manutenção de artefatos corretos e consistentes. Devido à distância de representação entre artefatos de modelagem e programação, o esforço ligado a refatoramentos logo torna-se duplicado e custoso. Neste contexto, suporte de ferramentas utilizado atualmente, em especial ferramentas de Round-Trip Engineering (RTE), falha em automatizar tarefas de evolução. Consequentemente, a maioria dos projetos de software descarta artefatos de modelagem precocemente, adotando abordagens centradas unicamente em código-fonte. Esta tese propõe uma abordagem formal para consistentemente refatorar modelos de objeto e programas orientados a objetos, baseando o refatoramento apenas em modelos de objetos. Refatoramento de modelos é fundamentado com transformações formais primitivas { leis de modelagem { que são garantidamente preservadoras de semântica. Cada refatoramento aplicado a um modelo de objetos é associado a uma sequência semi-automática de aplicações de leis de programação preservadoras de comportamento, chamadas estrategias. Estrategias são aplicadas na dependência de um relacionamento especifico de conformidade entre modelos de objetos e programas, que devem satisfazer também um dado grau de confinamento. Este trabalho formaliza 14 estratregias, duas para cada lei de modelagem que afeta estruturas do programa. Estas estratregias são formalizadas como táticas de refinamento. Desta forma, refatoramento correto de programas pode ser realizado com reduzida intervenção manual do desenvolvedor, baseado apenas nas transformações que o mesmo aplicou ao modelo. Neste cenario, refatoramentos complexos que afetam as principais estruturas do programa podem ser aplicados a um artefato de mais alto nível de abstra ção, deixando a atualização semi-automática dos detalhes de implementação para as estratregias. Além disso, invariantes do modelo podem ser usados para aprimorar ferramentas especializadas em refatoramento, já que modelos de objetos oferecem informação semântica que permite refatoramentos automáticos mais poderosos. Esta tese considera Alloy como linguagem de modelagem formal, além de uma linguagem de programação similar a Java que chamamos BN. Para esta linguagem, introduzimos quatro novos refatoramentos e leis de programação orientada a objetos, com suas provas e derivações correspondentes. Adicionalmente, as leis de programação foram aplicadas em uma semântica de referências, mais próxima de linguages de programação utilizadas na prática. Com o intuito de delimitar a aplicabilidade desta abordagem, formalizamos uma noção de conformidade entre modelos de objetos e programas, a partir de um framework formal para definição de relacionamentos de conformidade; as definições formais relacionadas foram especificadas e checadas quanto ao tipo na ferramenta PVS. Além disso, estabelecemos e provamos manualmente um teorema para a corretude das estratregias, definindo que elas preservam comportamento e conformidade dos programas refatorados. Mesmo sendo uma abordagem formal, temos a preocupação de discutir sua utilização prática, além de aplica-la em três estudos de caso. Os problemas apresentados nesta tese certamente serão enfrentados em qualquer abordagem de desenvolvimento dirigida por modelos, no momento em que se lida com evolução

In this thesis, we present an abstract meta-model for model driven development of web applications targeting multiple platforms. We review the existing technologies and the related work in order to obtain a list of requirements for such an abstract model. The abstract model is built by extending an existing UML-based model for web applications. We demonstrate that it is possible to map this abstract model to more than one specific development platform by providing transformations for these mappings. We also lay out the general outline of a model-driven process based on the proposed abstract model. The abstract model and the model-driven process are supported by a set of tools, case studies and a visual modeling notation. Model-driven techniques have been used in the area of web development to a great extent. Most of the existing approaches are tuned toward specific platforms or develop only certain parts of web applications. These approaches generally use meta-models adapted to their targeted platforms. In order to flexibly target multiple platforms, the level of abstraction of the meta-model must be raised. Such a meta-model must allow the description of relevant features of web applications independently from the specificities of specific platforms. Additionally, transformations mapping from abstract to specific web descriptions must be expressible in a flexible way. In this thesis, we propose such an abstract meta-model. Mappings that transform abstract models to specific platforms are also presented. Different benefits can be foreseen from this approach. By relieving developers from low-level platform-specific related design, the approach has the potential to shift the development task to issues related to business needs. Another benefit is shortened development time. This could help web developers to overcome the problem of schedule delays, which is recognized as one of the top five most-cited problems with large-scale web systems. The approach is specifically suitable for information-intensive web-based systems. These applications typically involve large data stores accessed through a web interface. A distinctive aspect of this approach is its use of a specification of the data mapping as part of its high-level input. More importantly, the common features required to process data and communicate data objects between different layers and components are targeted.

To make computational thinking appealing to young learners, initial programming instruction looks very different now than a decade ago, with the increasing use of graphics and robots both real and virtual. After the first steps, children want to create interactive programs, and they need a model for this. State diagrams provide such a model, as observed previously by other researchers. This thesis documents the design and implementation of a Model-Driven Engineering tool, SD~Draw, that allows even primary-aged children to draw and understand state diagrams, and create modifiable app templates. We have tested this with grade 4 and 5 students. In our initial test, we discovered that children very quickly understand the motivation and use of state diagrams using this tool, and will independently discover abstract states even if they are only taught to model using concrete states. To determine whether this approach is appropriate for children of this age we asked three questions: do children understand state diagrams, do they understand the role of reachability, and are they engaged by them. We found that they are able to translate between different representations of the state diagrams, strongly indicating that they do understand them. We found with confidence p=0.001 that they do understand reachability by refuting the null hypothesis that they are creating diagrams randomly. And we found that they were engaged by the concept, with many students continuing to develop their diagrams on their own time after school and on the weekend. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

O surgimento e o uso crescente de novas tecnologias têm levado à produção e armazenamento de grandes volumes de dados biomédicos. Tais dados são provenientes de diferentes técnicas, armazenados em formatos de representação diversos e utilizados por diferentes ferramentas. Esta heterogeneidade representa um empecilho ao maior uso desses dados em abordagens integrativas de pesquisa como, por exemplo, a biologia sistêmica. Neste cenário, artefatos de modelagem conceitual, tais como ontologias, têm sido utilizados para organizar e integrar dados heterogêneos de uma forma coerente. A OBO Foundry representa, atualmente, o maior esforço no desenvolvimento de ontologias biomédicas de forma colaborativa. Dentre as ontologias desenvolvidas pela OBO Foundry, destaca-se Ontologia de Relacionamentos (RO-OBO). A RO-OBO provê definições formais para um conjunto de relacionamentos de propósito geral utilizados nas ontologias biomédicas e busca promover a criação de ontologias mais corretas e integráveis. Um perfil UML foi proposto para representar formalmente o conjunto de conceitos e relacionamentos existentes na RO-OBO. Este perfil permite desenvolver modelos UML utilizando os conceitos presentes nesta ontologia, bem como torna possível o desenvolvimento de suporte à validação sintática dos modelos criados em relação a um conjunto de restrições formalmente definidas. Adicionalmente, percebe-se na literatura que o suporte à integração de modelos UML e ontologias OBO, em particular as ontologias representadas na linguagem OBO File Format, é limitado. Neste sentido, este trabalho teve como objetivo geral investigar o suporte ao desenvolvimento de ontologias biomédicas na linguagem UML. De forma específica, investigou-se o desenvolvimento de um editor gráfico, chamado OBO-RO Editor, para o suporte à construção de ontologias utilizando o perfil UML proposto, bem como a integração de ontologias desenvolvidas utilizando UML e ontologias desenvolvidas na linguagem OBO File Format. De forma a atingir nossos objetivos, uma arquitetura de referência foi definida e um processo de desenvolvimento orientado a modelos foi utilizado. A arquitetura definida é composta por uma série de artefatos inter-relacionados os quais são transformados (semi) automaticamente em código de aplicação, possibilitando a obtenção de ciclos de desenvolvimento mais rápidos e confiáveis. O OBO-RO Editor disponibiliza um conjunto de elementos gráficos de modelagem definidos a partir do perfil UML proposto, bem como provê mecanismos para a validação sintática (semi) automática de uma ontologia desenvolvida segundo as restrições definidas neste perfil. Adicionalmente, o OBO-RO Editor também provê suporte à integração de modelos UML a outras ontologias da OBO Foundry, permitindo o reuso e o desenvolvimento menos propenso a erros de ontologias no domínio biomédico. / The development and increasing use of new technologies has resulted in the production and storage of a huge amount of biomedical data. These data are produced using different techniques, stored in different formats and consumed by different (software) tools. This heterogeneity hinders effective data usage in integrative research approaches, including systems biology. In this scenario, conceptual modeling artifacts, such as ontologies, have been used to organize and integrate heterogeneous data in a coherent manner. Nowadays, the OBO Foundry represents the most important effort for the collaborative development of ontologies in the biomedical domain. The OBO Relation Ontology (OBO-RO) can be considered one of the most relevant ontologies in the domain. This ontology provides formal definitions for a number of general purpose relationships used in biomedical ontologies, thus facilitating the integration of existing ontologies and the development of new ontologies in the domain. An UML profile has been proposed to formally define the different types of concepts and relationships provided by the OBO-RO. This profile enables the creation of UML models using such concepts and allows the development of support for the automatic validation of these models based on formal constraints. Additionally, the support for the integration between UML models and OBO ontologies, particularly ontologies represented using the OBO File Format, is limited. In this sense, this project aimed at investigating the support for the development of biomedical ontologies using UML. In particular, we investigated the development of a graphical editor, named OBO-RO Editor, to support ontology development using the proposed UML profile. Additionally, we also investigated the integration of ontologies developed using UML and ontologies developed using the OBO File Format. In order to achieve our goals, we have defined a reference architecture and a model-driven development process. The reference architecture consists of a number of related artifacts that are transformed to application code (semi) automatically. Such characteristic allowed us to obtain faster and more reliable development cycles. The OBO-RO Editor provides a number of graphical elements defined in the proposed UML profile for the modeling of biomedical ontologies and support the (semi) automatic syntactic validation of such ontologies against the contraints defined in the profile. Additionally, OBO-RO Editor also provides support for the integration of developed UML models and other OBO ontologies, allowing the reuse and the accurate development of biomedical ontologies.