Towards A Semantic for UML Activity Diagram Based on Institution Theory for it's Transformation to Event-B Model

Abstract

In this article, we define an approach for model transformation. We use the example of UML Activity Diagram (UML AD) and Event-B as a source and a target formalism. Before doing the transformation, a formal semantic is given to the source formalism. We use the institution theory to define the intended semantic. With this theory, we gain a algebraic specification for this formalism. Thus, the source formalism will be defined in its own natural semantic meaning without any intermediate semantic. Model transformation will be performed by a set of transformation schema which preserve the semantic expressed in the source model during the transformation process. The generated model expressed in Event-B language will be used for the formal verification of the source model. As a result, some model expressed in a precise formalism, the verification of this model can be seen as the verification of the Event-B model semantically equivalent to the source model. Then, in the present work we combine the institution theory, Event-Bmethod and graph grammar to develop an approach supporting the specification, the transformation and the verification of UML AD.