In this paper, we present a metamodel for textual use case descriptions, structurally conforming to the UML, to specify the behavior of use cases in a flow-oriented manner. While being primarily targeted at supporting requirements engineers in creating consistent use case models, the metamodel defines a textual representation of use case behavior that is easily understandable for readers, who are unaware of the underlying metamodel. Hence, the known benefits of natural language use case descriptions are preserved. Being formalized, consistency between UML-based use case representations and their textual descriptions can be automatically ensured. With NaUTiluS we present an extensible, Eclipse-based toolkit, which offers integrated UML use case modeling support, as well as editing capabilities for their textual descriptions.

Model driven development has evolved to a mature methodology and technology usable for some industrial settings. Within the automation domain it is an upcoming approach. This paper addresses challenges present in the automation domain when it comes to the usage of model driven development. Quality, life cycle, legacy systems, mental approach and safety challenges are briefly discussed.

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Abstract:Model-driven engineering has recently gained broad acceptance in the field of embedded and real-time software systems. While larger embedded and real-time systems, developed e.g. in aerospace, telecommunication, or automotive industry, are quite well supported by model-driven engineering approaches based on the UML, small embedded and real-time systems, as they can for example be found in the industrial automation industry, are still handled a bit novercal. A major reason for this is that the code generation facilities, being offered by most of the UML modeling tools on the market, do indeed support C/C++ code generation in all its particulars, but neglect the generation of plain ANSI-C code. However, this would be needed for small embedded and real-time systems, which have special characteristics in terms of hard time and space constraints. Therefore we developed a framework, which allows to generate ANSI conformant C code from UML models. It is built on top of Eclipse technology, so that it can be integrated easily with available UML modeling tools. Because flexibility and customizability are important requirements, the generation process consists of a model-to-model transformation between the UML source model and an intermediate ANSI-C model, as well as a final model-to-text generation from the intermediate ANSI-C model into C code files. This approach has several advantages compared to a direct code generation strategy.

While engineering of embedded & real-time systems has moved much into the focus of the research community, being strongly promoted by those prominent application areas as the automotive, aerospace & defense, or telecommunications industry, small embedded & real-time systems, as they can be found in somehow marginal application areas as the industrial automation, are still treated a bit stepmotherly. In particular, profound methodical support for the software development of such small devices is almost unavailable. With MeDUSA we especially target the domain of such small embedded & real-time systems, and explicitly address the very special technological, economical, and organizational constraints that have to be faced in such marginal application areas.