TY - GEN
T1 - Inter-association constraints in UML2
T2 - 15th International Conference on Model Driven Engineering Languages and Systems, MODELS 2012
AU - Maraee, Azzam
AU - Balaban, Mira
PY - 2012/10/24
Y1 - 2012/10/24
N2 - UML specification is verbal and imprecise, the exact meaning of many class diagram constructs and their interaction is still obscure. There are major problems with the inter-association constraints subsets, union, redefinition, association specialization, association-class specialization. Although their standard semantics is ambiguous and their interaction unclear, the UML meta-model intensively uses these constraints. The paper investigates the semantic implications of the above inter-association constraints, their interaction with other constraints, and implied correctness problems. Based on this study, we present a comparative analysis of these constraints, that includes characterization, and refers to complexity factors, and usefulness aspect. This analysis yields recommendations concerning the semantics and usefulness of the constraints. In addition, we present modeling guidelines for users. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first all inclusive analysis of the inter-association constraints in UML2.
AB - UML specification is verbal and imprecise, the exact meaning of many class diagram constructs and their interaction is still obscure. There are major problems with the inter-association constraints subsets, union, redefinition, association specialization, association-class specialization. Although their standard semantics is ambiguous and their interaction unclear, the UML meta-model intensively uses these constraints. The paper investigates the semantic implications of the above inter-association constraints, their interaction with other constraints, and implied correctness problems. Based on this study, we present a comparative analysis of these constraints, that includes characterization, and refers to complexity factors, and usefulness aspect. This analysis yields recommendations concerning the semantics and usefulness of the constraints. In addition, we present modeling guidelines for users. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first all inclusive analysis of the inter-association constraints in UML2.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84867640686&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/978-3-642-33666-9_20
DO - 10.1007/978-3-642-33666-9_20
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:84867640686
SN - 9783642336652
T3 - Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)
SP - 302
EP - 318
BT - Model Driven Engineering Languages and Systems - 15th International Conference, MODELS 2012, Proceedings
Y2 - 30 September 2012 through 5 October 2012
ER -