1 Software Systems Analysis A Research Area Overview By Reema Al-Kamha Supported by NSF

2 Outline  Introduction  Data Representation  Behavior Representation  Prototyping  Formalism  Recent Work  Some Future Directions

3 Introduction  Software System  Systems Analysis  Modeling

4 Representation─Data  Conceptual Data Modeling  Knowledge Representation  Ontologies

5 Conceptual Data Modeling  Entity Relationship Model [Che76]  Object-Role Modeling [Hal01]  Object-Relationship Model [EKW92]  Unified Modeling Language [BRJ99]

6 Entity Relationship Model [Chen76]

7 Knowledge Representation  Semantic Networks [GRI82]  Frames [Min75, FK85]

8 Semantic Networks [GRI82] users.aber.ac.uk/smg/Modules/COM6010-April-2004/ semanticNetsAndFrames.ppt

9 Frames [Min75] users.aber.ac.uk/smg/Modules/COM6010-April-2004/ semanticNetsAndFrames.ppt

10 Ontologies  Philosophy [Bun77]  Analysis and design information systems [WW90], based on Bunge’s ontology [Bun77, Bun79]  Ontology is an explicit specification of a shared conceptualization [Guber93]

11 Ontologies  Advantages Facilitate the process of identifying system requirements Improve the reliability of software systems Facilitate the design of reusable systems  Knowledge representation Ontolingua [Gru93] CYC [LG90, LG95] OWL [SWM04]

12 Representation─Behavior  Petri Nets [Pet62, Pet77]  Finite State Machines [Cho78]  Statecharts [Har87]  State Nets [EKW92]

13 Petri Nets [Pet62, Pet77]

14 Petri Nets [Pet62, Pet77]

15 Prototyping  Constructing a partial implementation of system  Two approaches: Throwaway approach [DAV82, GOM83] Evolutionary approach [MAS83]

16 Formalism  Mathematical based techniques for describing system properties  Formalism produces models that are: Consistent Complete Unambiguous  Variety of formal specification languages such as CSP [Hoa85], VDM [JON91], and Z [Spi89]  Description Logics

17 Recent Work  Form-Oriented Analysis [DW04]  Using Fisheye Views to Support Systems Analysis [TSSO04]  Extreme Programming (XP) [Bec00]

18 Page diagram of the online seminar registration system Form-Oriented Analysis [DW04]

19 Form-Oriented Analysis [DW04] Form chart of the seminar registration system

20 Form-Oriented Analysis [DW04] Data model and data dictionary

21 Using Fisheye Views [TSSO04]

22 Extreme Programming (XP) [Bec00] Stories (re)describe Customer interact Source Code define Test code errors create, refine interpret Developers

23 Some Future Directions  Extreme Non-Programming (XNP) [Tony Morgan ISTA 2004]  Challenge to the Conceptual Models [Michael Carey ER2003]

24 Extreme Non-Programming (XNP) review (re)describe Analyst Customer translate Model Human readable views generate Software generate Machine readable views generate

25 Mike Carey’s ER2003 Challenge to the Conceptual Modeling Community Produce a simple conceptual model that: Works well with XML and XML Schema Abstracts well for conceptual entities and relationships Scales to handle both large data sets and complex object interrelationships Allows for queries and defined views via XQuery Accommodates heterogeneity

26 Summary  Overview of Systems Analysis  Data & Behavior Representation  Prototyping  Formalism  Recent Work & Some Future Directions