A software developer explores a software system by asking and answering a series of questions. To answer these questions, a developer may need to consult various sources providing information about the program, such as the static relationships expressed directly in the source code, the run-time behaviour of a program recorded in a dynamic trace, or evolution history as recorded in a source management system. Despite the support afforded by software exploration tools, developers often struggle to find the necessary information to answer their questions and may even become disoriented, where they feel mentally lost and are uncertain of what they were trying to accomplish. This dissertation advances a thesis that a developer's questions, which we refer to as conceptual queries, can be better supported through a model to represent and compose different sources of information about a program. The basis of this model is the sphere, which serves as a simple abstraction of a source of information about a program. Many of the software exploration tools used by a developer can be represented as a sphere. Spheres can be composed in a principled fashion such that information from a sphere may replace or supplement information from a different sphere. Using our sphere model, for example, a developer can use dynamic runtime information from an execution trace to replace information from the static source code to see what actually occurred. We have implemented this model in a configurable tool, called Ferret. We have used the facilities provided by the model to implement 36 conceptual queries identified from the literature, blogs, and our own experience, and to support the integration of four different sources of program information. Establishing correspondences between similar elements from different spheres allows a query to bridge across different spheres in addition to allowing a tool's user interface to drive queries from other sources of information. Through this effort we show that sphere model broadens the set of possible conceptual queries answerable by software exploration tools. Through a small diary study and a controlled experiment, both involving professional software developers, we found the developers used the conceptual queries that were available to them and reported finding Ferret useful.

A software developer explores a software system by asking and answering a series of questions. To answer these questions, a developer may need to consult various sources providing information about the program, such as the static relationships expressed directly in the source code, the run-time behaviour of a program recorded in a dynamic trace, or evolution history as recorded in a source management system. Despite the support afforded by software exploration tools, developers often struggle to find the necessary information to answer their questions and may even become disoriented, where they feel mentally lost and are uncertain of what they were trying to accomplish. This dissertation advances a thesis that a developer's questions, which we refer to as conceptual queries, can be better supported through a model to represent and compose different sources of information about a program. The basis of this model is the sphere, which serves as a simple abstraction of a source of information about a program. Many of the software exploration tools used by a developer can be represented as a sphere. Spheres can be composed in a principled fashion such that information from a sphere may replace or supplement information from a different sphere. Using our sphere model, for example, a developer can use dynamic runtime information from an execution trace to replace information from the static source code to see what actually occurred. We have implemented this model in a configurable tool, called Ferret. We have used the facilities provided by the model to implement 36 conceptual queries identified from the literature, blogs, and our own experience, and to support the integration of four different sources of program information. Establishing correspondences between similar elements from different spheres allows a query to bridge across different spheres in addition to allowing a tool's user interface to drive queries from other sources of information. Through this effort we show that sphere model broadens the set of possible conceptual queries answerable by software exploration tools. Through a small diary study and a controlled experiment, both involving professional software developers, we found the developers used the conceptual queries that were available to them and reported finding Ferret useful.

A software developer explores a software system by asking and answering a series of questions. To answer these questions, a developer may need to consult various sources providing information about the program, such as the static relationships expressed directly in the source code, the run-time behaviour of a program recorded in a dynamic trace, or evolution history as recorded in a source management system. Despite the support afforded by software exploration tools, developers often struggle to find the necessary information to answer their questions and may even become disoriented, where they feel mentally lost and are uncertain of what they were trying to accomplish. This dissertation advances a thesis that a developer's questions, which we refer to as conceptual queries, can be better supported through a model to represent and compose different sources of information about a program. The basis of this model is the sphere, which serves as a simple abstraction of a source of information about a program. Many of the software exploration tools used by a developer can be represented as a sphere. Spheres can be composed in a principled fashion such that information from a sphere may replace or supplement information from a different sphere. Using our sphere model, for example, a developer can use dynamic runtime information from an execution trace to replace information from the static source code to see what actually occurred. We have implemented this model in a configurable tool, called Ferret. We have used the facilities provided by the model to implement 36 conceptual queries identified from the literature, blogs, and our own experience, and to support the integration of four different sources of program information. Establishing correspondences between similar elements from different spheres allows a query to bridge across different spheres in addition to allowing a tool's user interface to drive queries from other sources of information. Through this effort we show that sphere model broadens the set of possible conceptual queries answerable by software exploration tools. Through a small diary study and a controlled experiment, both involving professional software developers, we found the developers used the conceptual queries that were available to them and reported finding Ferret useful. / Science, Faculty of / Computer Science, Department of / Graduate

Atenção especial tem sido dada às atividades de documentação e suporte a projetos em Engenharia de Software, principalmente quando estão relacionadas a sistemas complexos e equipes distribuídas. Geralmente apenas se registram as informações relativas às decisões finais de determinada fase. Não são documentadas as razões de cada decisão e nem as alternativas que foram consideradas e descartadas. A captura e recuperação, de maneira eficiente, deste tipo de informação é a finalidade do estudo do Design Rationale. O registro destas informações pode facilitar a manutenção, o reuso e também a própria fase de elaboração do projeto, na medida em que possibilita um melhor entendimento do sistema, por meio da disseminação de conhecimento, comunicação e integração entre a equipe de projeto. A questão é quando e como capturar estas informações sem muita interferência junto às atividades usuais dos projetistas, a fim de que os benefícios possam superar os custos envolvidos nesta tarefa. O presente trabalho tem como objetivo mostrar com razões plausíveis a grande utilidade da aplicação da técnica de Design Rationale em projetos de sistemas ERP, propondo um novo modelo de representação das decisões de projeto para estes sistemas. / Special attention has been given to documentation and support activities in Software Engineering design, mainly when they are related to complex systems and distributed teams. Usually, information related to the final decisions of each phase is registered. However, the reasons of each decision and the alternatives that were considered and discarded are not documented. Capture and recovery of this type of information, in an efficient way, are the purposes of the Design Rationale study. Recording this information can facilitates maintenance, reuse and even the design phase, providing a better understanding of the system, by knowledge spread, communication and integration among the project team. The main concern is when and how to capture this information with low interference in designers\' usual activities, so that benefits can overcome costs involved in this task. The purpose of the present work is to show with plausible reasons the great usefulness of the application of Design Rationale technique in ERP systems design, proposing a new representation model for recording design decisions in these system.

Atenção especial tem sido dada às atividades de documentação e suporte a projetos em Engenharia de Software, principalmente quando estão relacionadas a sistemas complexos e equipes distribuídas. Geralmente apenas se registram as informações relativas às decisões finais de determinada fase. Não são documentadas as razões de cada decisão e nem as alternativas que foram consideradas e descartadas. A captura e recuperação, de maneira eficiente, deste tipo de informação é a finalidade do estudo do Design Rationale. O registro destas informações pode facilitar a manutenção, o reuso e também a própria fase de elaboração do projeto, na medida em que possibilita um melhor entendimento do sistema, por meio da disseminação de conhecimento, comunicação e integração entre a equipe de projeto. A questão é quando e como capturar estas informações sem muita interferência junto às atividades usuais dos projetistas, a fim de que os benefícios possam superar os custos envolvidos nesta tarefa. O presente trabalho tem como objetivo mostrar com razões plausíveis a grande utilidade da aplicação da técnica de Design Rationale em projetos de sistemas ERP, propondo um novo modelo de representação das decisões de projeto para estes sistemas. / Special attention has been given to documentation and support activities in Software Engineering design, mainly when they are related to complex systems and distributed teams. Usually, information related to the final decisions of each phase is registered. However, the reasons of each decision and the alternatives that were considered and discarded are not documented. Capture and recovery of this type of information, in an efficient way, are the purposes of the Design Rationale study. Recording this information can facilitates maintenance, reuse and even the design phase, providing a better understanding of the system, by knowledge spread, communication and integration among the project team. The main concern is when and how to capture this information with low interference in designers\' usual activities, so that benefits can overcome costs involved in this task. The purpose of the present work is to show with plausible reasons the great usefulness of the application of Design Rationale technique in ERP systems design, proposing a new representation model for recording design decisions in these system.

Sistemas de workflow estão se tornando líderes de mercado na modelagem de regras de negócios das organizações. Contudo, eles ainda carecem de uma série de definições e padrões que sejam amplamente aceitos. Tais carências refletem-se nas técnicas atuais de modelagem de workflow, onde muitos conceitos existentes em um modelo são representados de forma completamente diferentes em outros ou, até mesmo, não existem. A partir de um levantamento realizado sobre os requisitos de modelagem de workflow, verificou-se que os modelos conceituais de workflow, hoje existentes, não atendem a todos os requisitos considerados essenciais para a modelagem da realidade dos processos de negócios. A identificação dos elementos de representação que devem existir em um modelo de processo para representar estes requisitos, o detalhamento das informações que devem ser levantadas durante a modelagem do processo para representar toda a realidade dos processos de negócio e o desenvolvimento de um modelo de processos que apresente estes elementos de representação são o objeto desta dissertação de mestrado. / Workflow systems are becoming the most important tools for business rules modeling. However, workflow systems still lack widely accepted definitions and standards. This is reflected in the difference among existing workflow modeling techniques. Many times the same modeling concept is represented in very different ways in different models or is even absent in some of them. Workflow modeling requirements were evaluated and it became clear that the existing workflow conceptual models do not offer all the essential resources needed to model real business processes. The main goals of this work are: to identify the representation elements needed to express such requirements; to define all the information that has to be gotten during process modeling in order to represent to whole business process reality; to propose a process model that presents these representation elements.

Sistemas de workflow estão se tornando líderes de mercado na modelagem de regras de negócios das organizações. Contudo, eles ainda carecem de uma série de definições e padrões que sejam amplamente aceitos. Tais carências refletem-se nas técnicas atuais de modelagem de workflow, onde muitos conceitos existentes em um modelo são representados de forma completamente diferentes em outros ou, até mesmo, não existem. A partir de um levantamento realizado sobre os requisitos de modelagem de workflow, verificou-se que os modelos conceituais de workflow, hoje existentes, não atendem a todos os requisitos considerados essenciais para a modelagem da realidade dos processos de negócios. A identificação dos elementos de representação que devem existir em um modelo de processo para representar estes requisitos, o detalhamento das informações que devem ser levantadas durante a modelagem do processo para representar toda a realidade dos processos de negócio e o desenvolvimento de um modelo de processos que apresente estes elementos de representação são o objeto desta dissertação de mestrado. / Workflow systems are becoming the most important tools for business rules modeling. However, workflow systems still lack widely accepted definitions and standards. This is reflected in the difference among existing workflow modeling techniques. Many times the same modeling concept is represented in very different ways in different models or is even absent in some of them. Workflow modeling requirements were evaluated and it became clear that the existing workflow conceptual models do not offer all the essential resources needed to model real business processes. The main goals of this work are: to identify the representation elements needed to express such requirements; to define all the information that has to be gotten during process modeling in order to represent to whole business process reality; to propose a process model that presents these representation elements.

Sistemas de workflow estão se tornando líderes de mercado na modelagem de regras de negócios das organizações. Contudo, eles ainda carecem de uma série de definições e padrões que sejam amplamente aceitos. Tais carências refletem-se nas técnicas atuais de modelagem de workflow, onde muitos conceitos existentes em um modelo são representados de forma completamente diferentes em outros ou, até mesmo, não existem. A partir de um levantamento realizado sobre os requisitos de modelagem de workflow, verificou-se que os modelos conceituais de workflow, hoje existentes, não atendem a todos os requisitos considerados essenciais para a modelagem da realidade dos processos de negócios. A identificação dos elementos de representação que devem existir em um modelo de processo para representar estes requisitos, o detalhamento das informações que devem ser levantadas durante a modelagem do processo para representar toda a realidade dos processos de negócio e o desenvolvimento de um modelo de processos que apresente estes elementos de representação são o objeto desta dissertação de mestrado. / Workflow systems are becoming the most important tools for business rules modeling. However, workflow systems still lack widely accepted definitions and standards. This is reflected in the difference among existing workflow modeling techniques. Many times the same modeling concept is represented in very different ways in different models or is even absent in some of them. Workflow modeling requirements were evaluated and it became clear that the existing workflow conceptual models do not offer all the essential resources needed to model real business processes. The main goals of this work are: to identify the representation elements needed to express such requirements; to define all the information that has to be gotten during process modeling in order to represent to whole business process reality; to propose a process model that presents these representation elements.

This Thesis analyses various representation models in the matter of Latvian tractor market penetration by Zetor brand products and herewith presents all necessary information concerning this problem. All suggested representation models are going to be evaluated and the output of this evaluation is the optimal model presentation for Zetor Group management. This authority is responsible for strategic decision of final representation model for Zetor brand products on Latvian tractor market.

Les approches conventionnelles pour la génération de processus de fabrication sont inefficaces pour gérer la complexité induite par la variété des produits et la dynamique de fabrication. La génération des processus de fabrication reconfigurables (RPP) est une nouvelle méthode de CAPP qui vise à générer des processus de fabrication pour une famille de produits / pièces. Cette thèse vise à apporter une contribution majeure aux modèles de représentation et aux méthodes de génération permettant la génération des processus de fabrication reconfigurables à deux niveaux de granularité : famille de produits et famille de pièces. Les approches proposées pour le RPP sont compatibles avec une extension du concept de famille de produits / pièces qui est défini en utilisant le concept de domaine. Un modèle pour une variété fonctionnelle de produit / pièce basé sur des entités est développé afin de représenter les informations nécessaires à la gestion des processus reconfigurables en utilisant des techniques modulaires. Des modèles mathématiques et des modèles de représentation sont proposés pour décrire le processus de fabrication reconfigurable à deux niveaux de granularité. Sur la base des modèles de représentation, les méthodes de génération et les algorithmes sont ensuite détaillés dans ce cadre. En outre, un cadre global est proposé pour décrire comment les modèles et les méthodes proposés collaborent pour gérer la variété de produit / pièce et la dynamique de fabrication. Pour illustrer la faisabilité des modèles et méthodes proposés, deux familles de pompes (l’une à engrenage et l’autre à huile) sont utilisées à titre d'exemples illustratifs tout au long de ce mémoire de thèse. / Conventional manufacturing process planning approaches are inefficient to handle the process planning complexity induced by product variety and manufacturing dynamics. Reconfigurable process planning (RPP) is an emerging CAPP approach targeting to the generation of process plans for a product/part family. This thesis aims to give major contributions to the representation models and generation methods to support reconfigurable process planning at two granularity levels: product family and part family. The proposed approaches for RPP are compatible with an extended concept of product/part family which is defined by using the concept of “domain”. A feature-based product/part variety model is developed to represent the required information for RPP by using modular and platform-based techniques. Mathematical models and graph-based representation models are proposed to describe the reconfigurable process plan at two granularity levels. Based on the representation models, the generation methods and algorithms are then developed for RPP. In addition, a global framework is proposed to describe how the proposed RPP models and methods work together to handle the product/part variety and manufacturing dynamics. To test the feasibility of the proposed models and methods, a gear pump family and an oil pump body family are used as illustrative examples throughout this thesis.