A Constraint-based Approach for Checking Vertical Inconsistencies between Class and Sequence UML Diagrams

Abstract

The modern software development processes enable evolving software systems and refining models across software life cycle. However, these evolution attitudes may lead to some consistency problems among models at different levels of abstraction. Hence, it is required to discover and detect the potential inconsistencies occurring in models when developing a system. This paper focuses on checking the vertical consistency of UML models using an approach based on defining constraints at the meta-level. These constraints are expressed using EVL (Epsilon Validation Language) to ensure the consistency of models. Representative examples of constraints for checking vertical inconsistencies between class and sequence diagrams are proposed to illustrate our contribution.

Managing Inconsistencies in UML Models: A Systematic Literature Review

“…Allaki et al [38] A method for checking the consistency of UML models, based on formal constraints defined at the meta-model of UML. These constraints are described using Epsilon Validation Language (EVL) by matching related diagrams features at the meta-level.…”

“…An inconsistency roughly means that overlapping elements of different model aspects don't match each other. In other words, the whole system is not represented in a harmonized way in different views of its model being syntactically or semantically in contradiction, incomplete, or reflecting ambiguities or anomalies [2].…”