Towards a Generation of Class Diagram From User Stories in Agile Methods

Model-driven architecture (MDA) is an alternative approach of software engineering that allows an automatic transformation from business process model to code model. In MDA there are two transformation kinds: transformation from computing independent model (CIM) to platform independent model (PIM) and transformation from PIM to platform specific model (PSM). In this chapter, the authors based on CIM to PIM transformation. This transformation is done by developing a platform that generates class diagram, presented in XMI file, from specifications that are presented in user stories, which are written in natural language (English). They used a natural language processing (NLP) tool named “Stanford Core NLP” for extracting of the object-oriented design elements. The approach was validated by focusing on two case studies: firstly, comparing the results with the results other researchers; and secondly, comparing the results with the results obtained manually. The benefits of the approach are aligned with agile methods goals.

The Contribution of MDA in Software-Defined Network

Software-defined networking is changing the way we design and manage networks. This prominent paradigm based on the separation of control and management plane is highly heterogeneous with different devices from various technologies and leads to an incredible growing of materials. As SDN expands in size of devices and complexity, it faces greater administrative and management challenges. The paradigm of MDA was introduced using NETCONF/YANG as a way to model in order to deal with these management challenges and soften the development of SDN applications. The researchers joined the MDA and its related concepts as model-driven engineering to SDN to implement a platform called model-driven networking increasing the level of abstraction on development. This chapter presents a comprehensive survey of the research relating to MDN paradigm. It starts by introducing the basic concepts of SDN. Next, it presents the concepts related to MDA, and the YANG which is a modeling language. Last, it highlights the studies introducing the MDN paradigm and its benefits in SDN applications.

Towards a Systematic Derivation of an Analysis Model From Business Process Models in the Context of Model-Driven Architecture

The necessity of aligning an enterprise's information system (IS) model to its business process (BP) model is incontestable to the consistent analysis of the business performance. However, the main difficulty of establishing/maintaining BP-IS model alignment stems from the dissimilarities in the knowledge of the information system developers and the business process experts. To overcome these limits, the authors propose a model-driven architecture compliant methodology that helps software analysts to build an IS analysis model aligned to a given BP model. The proposed methodology allows mastering transformation from computation independent model to platform independent model. The CIM level expresses the BP, which is modelled through the standard BPMN and, at the PIM level represents the aligned IS model, which is generated as use case diagram, system sequence diagrams, and class diagram. CIM to PIM transformation accounts for the BP structural and semantic perspectives to generate an aligned IS model that respects the best-practice granularity level and the quality of UML diagrams.

An Automatic Generation of Domain Ontologies Based on an MDA Approach to Support Big Data Analytics

This chapter proposes a new methodology for the automatic generation of domain ontologies to support big data analytics. This method ensures the recommendations of the MDA approach by transforming UML class diagrams to domain ontologies in PSM level through ODM, which is an OMG standard for ontology modeling. In this work, the authors have focused on the model-driven architecture approach as the best solution for representing and generating ontology artifacts in an intuitive way using the UML graphical syntax. The creation of domain ontologies will form the basis for application developers to target business professional context; however, the future of big data will depend on the use of technologies to model ontologies. With that said, this work supports the combination of ontologies and big data approaches as the most efficient way to store, extract, and analyze data. It is shown using the theoretical approach and concrete results obtained after applying the proposed process to an e-learning domain ontology.

A Disciplined Method to Generate UML2 Communication Diagrams Automatically From the Business Value Model

One of the most crucial objectives of enterprises is bridging the gap between its businesses and information systems. In this vein, many approaches have emerged among them: the Model-Driven Architecture (MDA). This approach is an initiative of the Object Management Group (OMG) and considers the model as the central entity in the software systems development process offering many techniques allowing transformation between models. In addition, the OMG introduces for the MDA three abstraction levels, namely Computation Independent Model (CIM), Platform Independent Model (PIM), and Platform-Specific Model (PSM). This contribution proposes a disciplined method that ensures an automatic alignment between businesses and information system models at CIM and PIM levels. The source model consists of E3value model, which is the Business Value model, whereas, the generated model represents UML2 Communication diagrams, that are the UML's behavior and interaction models. The transformation is achieved automatically using meta-models and ATLAS Transformation Language and proved to be effective.

Extending the Knowledge Discovery Metamodel to Support Tasks and Presentation Behaviors of Design Knowledge

Currently, the main objective of all programmers and designers is to render interactive systems usable and effective. So, users can complete their tasks and achieve their goals. To ensure that, programmers and designers require good understanding of system characteristics and functionality. This work focused on an approach to automate the process of extracting the system information. The approach is based on the ADM initiative as the best solution for system's evolution. The OMG ADM Task Force defines a set of standards to facilitate that, like Knowledge Discovery Metamodel, captures design knowledge needed for the construction of future user interfaces. Actually, KDM allows abstract structural and semantical aspect representation. However, no support exists for expressing behavior of system content, interaction, user control, and activities of the front-end applications. The authors hope to alleviate this lack by extending KDM model to fulfill the needs of complete abstract model construction.

Model Transformation Approach According Model-Driven Architecture From BPMN to UML Up to IFML

The main key in MDA is the model's transformation. There are two transformation kinds into MDA: CIM to PIM and PIM to PSM. Most researchers focused on transformation from PIM to PSM because there are several points in common between these two levels. But transforming CIM to PIM is rarely discussed in research subjects because they are two different levels. This chapter presents a methodology to master model transformation from CIM to PIM up to PSM respecting MDA. The methodology is founded on creating a good CIM level, through well-chosen rules, to facilitate transformation to the PIM level. However, the authors establish a rich PIM level, respecting the three classic modeling views: functional, dynamic, and static. The method conforms to MDA by considering the business dimension in the CIM level, through BPMN which is the OMG standard for modeling business process. Nevertheless, they used UML models into the PIM level because UML is recommended by MDA in this level. Then, they use IFML the OMG standard for representing web interface model in PSM level.

Cultivating Practitioners for Software Engineering Experiments in industry

Controlled experiments are commonly used to evaluate software methods, processes, and tools. Literature presents that the validation of software engineering research results in industrial settings is a powerful way to obtain feedback about its value. However, to implicate industry and practitioners in experiments is not an easy task, and, even when a company is committed, frequently the number of practitioners involved is not enough to execute and validate the experiment. This chapter presents a guide of best practices that can be used in order to get a high number of participants that can validate research results from the industry. These practices are oriented to create an attractive environment for companies to conclude that the participation in a research experiment can be interesting for them. In order to illustrate them, the chapter also introduces the authors' experiences when running an experiment about early testing at the University of Seville, where they followed these guidelines to successfully enhance the participation of 76 practitioners from 32 different software companies.

SERIES

Requirement defects are one of the major sources of failure in any software development process, and the main objective of this chapter is to make requirement analysis phase exhaustive by estimating risk at requirement level by analyzing requirement defect and requirement inter-relationships as early as possible to using domain modeling to inhibit them from being incorporated in design and implementation. To achieve this objective, this chapter proposes a tool to assist software developers in assessing risk at requirement level. The proposed tool, software risk estimator, SERIES in short, helps in early identification of potential risk where preventive actions can be undertaken to mitigate risk and corrective actions to avoid project failure in collaborative manner. The entire process has been supported by a software case study. The results of the proposed work are promising and will help software engineers in ensuring that all business requirements are captured correctly with clear vision and scope.

Integration of Agile Methodologies and Model-Driven Development

Agile methods (AM) and model-driven engineering (MDE) are two principal domains of software development. AM proposes best practices in information programming, while MDE focuses on technical part of software development. Both of these domains are in the way of improvement and evolution in order to facilitate the development of IT projects. However, these areas evolve separately despite the great number of researches that focus on improving development project' techniques. Thus, in this chapter the authors present an overview of their approach “Scrum with MoDAr-WA”, that aims to improve Scrum Agile methodology by combining two variants of MDE: model-driven architecture and mode-based testing with the V development lifecycle used to deal with sprint development in Scrum methodology. Then they present a comparison study between the standard Scrum process and Scrum with MoDAr-WA approach in order to highlight the authors' contribution to improve agile methodologies.