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An Integration of UML-B and Object-Z in Software Development Process

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Innovations and Advances in Computer, Information, Systems Sciences, and Engineering

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Electrical Engineering ((LNEE,volume 152))

Abstract

Visual and formal modeling notations can complement each other when developing software systems. Object-Z (OZ) is an object-oriented extension of the Z notation for writing formal specifications. Much work exists on translations between UML and OZ. However, UML is not a formal modeling language. This delays verification and validation of UML visual models until translation to OZ. On the other hand, UML-B is a UML-like formal modeling language that supports object-oriented modeling concepts. In this paper, we propose a formal mapping from UML-B models to OZ constructs in order to integrate these two object-oriented visual and non-visual formal notations. In this way, we assist the software development process by using UML-B as a visual modeling notation at early conceptual modeling stage and OZ at next stages when requirements are better understood. Also, an opportunity is provided to develop code from UML-B models using existing approaches for mapping OZ specifications to object-oriented programs. Finally, using UML-B instead of UML, we are able to verify visual models in the early conceptual modeling stage of the software development process without translating them into OZ specifications.

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Correspondence to Mehrnaz Najafi .

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Najafi, M., Haghighi, H. (2013). An Integration of UML-B and Object-Z in Software Development Process. In: Elleithy, K., Sobh, T. (eds) Innovations and Advances in Computer, Information, Systems Sciences, and Engineering. Lecture Notes in Electrical Engineering, vol 152. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-3535-8_53

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-3535-8_53

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-3534-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-3535-8

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