How You Could Use NEPTUNE in the Modelling Process.

Abstract

The European Community plays an active role in giving concrete expression to the new developments taking place in modelling languages and in UML (Unified Modelling Language) [1] in particular. These developments often make use of norms and specifications that are mainly carried out by the OMG (Object Management Group). The main objective of the European NEPTUNE project led by CS (Nice Environment with a Process and Tools Using Norms and Example) is to develop both a method and tools (in addition to the existing software development tools) that support the use of the UML notation. This method has emerged from considerable experience gained in the industrial environment. It will apply to a variety of application fields, including software engineering, business process, and knowledge management [4]. The newly developed tools will enable UML models to be statically checked for their coherence and consistency. They will also enable professional documentation resulting from the transformation of models [5]. The method and tools developed make the application of the UML standard easier, and they promote its use in a large number of business fields so that the UML standard might be further improved with the aim to participate effectively in the work of the OMG. This paper will present the NEPTUNE method and tools. Then, lessons learned from this project will be reported, outlining the benefits and drawbacks of this technology as experienced by the development team. A conclusion will offer suggestions for future improvements and provide an overview of the next actions related to NEPTUNE deployment.