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Constraint-Based Model Refactoring

  • Conference paper
Model Driven Engineering Languages and Systems (MODELS 2011)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNPSE,volume 6981))

Abstract

The UML standard specifies well-formedness rules as constraints on UML models. To be correct, refactoring of a model must take these constraints into account and check that they are still satisfied after a refactoring has been performed — if not, the refactoring must be refused. With constraint-based refactoring, constraint checking is replaced by constraint solving, lifting the role of constraints from permitting or denying a tentative refactoring to computing additional model changes required for the refactoring to be executable. Thus, to the degree that the semantics of a modelling language is specified using constraints, refactorings based on these constraints are guaranteed to be meaning preserving. To enable the reuse of pre-existing constraints for refactoring, we present a mapping from well-formedness rules as provided by the UML standard to constraint rules as required by constraint-based refactoring. Using these mappings, models can be refactored at no extra cost; if refactorings fail, the lack of meaning preservation points us to how the constraint-based semantic specifications of the modelling language can be improved.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Lehrgebiet Programmiersysteme, Fernuniversität in Hagen, D-58084, Hagen, Germany

    Friedrich Steimann

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  1. Friedrich Steimann
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Computing and Communications, Lancaster University, InfoLab21, South Drive, LA1 4WA, Lancaster, UK

    Jon Whittle

  2. School of Engineering and Information Sciences, Middlesex University, The Burroughs, Hendon, NW4 4BT, London, UK

    Tony Clark

  3. School of Engineering and Computer Science, Victoria University, P.O. Box 600, 6140, Wellington, New Zealand

    Thomas Kühne

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Steimann, F. (2011). Constraint-Based Model Refactoring. In: Whittle, J., Clark, T., Kühne, T. (eds) Model Driven Engineering Languages and Systems. MODELS 2011. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 6981. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-24485-8_32

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-24485-8_32

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-24484-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-24485-8

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

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