Conceptual XML for Systems Analysis Reema Al-Kamha PhD Proposal Supported by NSF

2 Motivation Since: XML becoming standard for data representation XML Schema to specify and validate XML documents Thus, Systems analysts who store their models using XML need a simple conceptual model that works with XML- based development

3 Motivation XML Schema Low-level implementation details Hierarchical structure Textual implementation Conceptual models

4 Conceptual XML (C-XML) We have an answer to the new need of system analysts who store their models using XML! Conceptual XML (C-XML) is a conceptual model: “Model-equivalent” with XML Schema Represents the model at a high level of abstraction Example of usefulness: integration of XML repositories

5 Thesis Statement Conceptual-XML (C-XML) Transformation to and from C-XML and XML Schema preserve information and constraints Integration of C-XML model instances results in the integration of the equivalent XML schemas Prove the concreteness of the transformations Provide prototype implementation

6 C-XML

7 Transformations between C-XML and XML Schema We need information- and constraint-preserving transformations in both directions Transformations need not be inverses

8 Transformation from C-XML to XML Schema (Customer,CustomerName,CustomerAddr,Discount, (Order,OrderID,OrderDate, (Item, SalePrice, Qty)* )* )* (Item, ItemNr,Description,Price, (PreviousItem)*,(Manufacturer,RequestDateTime,Qty)* )* 8: 9:... 28: 29: 30: 31: 32:

9 56: 57: 58: 59: 60:... 79: 80: Transformation from C-XML to XML Schema

10 35: 36: 37: 38:... 60: 61: 62:... 74: 75:... 77: 78: Transformation from XML Schema to C-XML

11 44: 45: 46: 47: 48:... 49: 50: 51: 52: 53: 54: 55: Transformation from C-XML to XML Schema

12 11: Transformation from C-XML to XML Schema

13 Transformation from XML Schema to C-XML 56: 57:... 60:... 77: 78: Algorithm overview: Generate object sets for each element, attribute Connected by relationship sets Nested according to XML hierarchy Re-code all constraints in C-XML

14 Transformation from XML Schema to C-XML Artifact of XML Schema Artifact of XML nesting n-ary relationship decomposition

15 Integration XML Schema1XML Schema2 C-XML1 instanceC-XML2 instance Transform Integrated XML Schema Integrated C-XML model instance Integrated XML Schema Transform

16 Integration

17 Integration Name Addr ID ID-Nr Month Day Year Order ConsumerDetails Consumer OrderDate OrderID Order CustomerName CustomerAddr CustomerDetails Customer Name conflictsConstraint conflictsStructural conflictsData type conflicts

18 Integration

19 Data Merging Format conflicts Arbitrary lexical identifier conflicts Units conflicts

20 Produce a prototype that : Automatically transforms C-XML to XML Schema Automatically transforms XML Schema to C-XML Integrates two XML Schemas via C-XML views Artifacts to be Produced

21 Limitations of the Dissertation No automatic mappings for schema integration No sophisticated C-XML automatic layout tools No proof that the prototype is easy to use

22 Research Papers “An Information- and Constraint-Preserving Transformation from C-XML to XML Schema” “An Information- and Constraint-Preserving Transformation from XML Schema to C-XML” “On the Correctness of Conceptual Level Integration of XML Schemas” “C-XML-I: A Tool for Conceptual Level Integration of XML Schemas”

23 Contribution A vision for applying conceptual modeling to support the need of systems analysts who store their models using XML A framework to support the vision Information- and constraint-preserving mappings between C-XML and XML Schema Conceptual-level integration properly provides for XML schema integration