Reuse of Models and Diagrams of the UML and Implementation Concepts Regarding Dynamic Modeling

Abstract

If the UML finally becomes a standard for a object-oriented notation we have a precise metamodel description for making the interchange of model data possible which allows the reuse of model elements of the OOA and OOD as well. The UML just offers a notation and does not impose a method. According to that the developer is free to combine the diagrams of the UML according to the metamodel to cope with the domain requirements. As an example, it is possible to assign state diagrams and activity diagrams to classes, operations and use cases — the mentioned interchange of model data involves sequences of diagrams and whole models, not just single diagrams. Now the developers problem is that based on missing methods for the UML there is a lack of consistency rules concerning the combination of its diagrams. The semantics for diagram assignments are not clearly defined. As a result the software developer gets no help for transferring the results of the OOD to an implementation. The UML does not solve the problem of the discontinuity between OOA, OOD and the level of implementation. The UML does not fill in the gaps of the given OO methods but widens these gaps. We want to demonstrate these problems regarding the association between a class and a state diagram: When a class A has a state diagram class B inherits the complete properties of class A for its behavioral description, the result is implicit inheritance of A’s state diagram. We chose the correlation of classes and state diagrams because state diagrams are a very important means for detailed modeling of complex dynamics At least the most important OO methods have state diagrams as its heart.