Onion Graphs for Focus+Context Views of UML Class Diagrams

Kagdi, Huzefa; Maletic, Jonathan I.

doi:10.1109/vissof.2007.4290704

Cited by 14 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…Complementary to our work, techniques have been proposed to visualize large UML class diagrams based on focus+context techniques [32,33].…”

Section: Visualizing Modelsmentioning

confidence: 98%

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Assessing the use of slicing-based visualizing techniques on the understanding of large metamodels

Blouin¹,

Moha²,

Baudry³

et al. 2015

Information and Software Technology

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Context. Metamodels are cornerstones of various metamodeling activities. Such activities consist of, for instance, transforming models into code or comparing metamodels. These activities thus require a good understanding of a metamodel and/or its parts. Current metamodel editing tools are based on standard interactive visualization features, such as physical zooms. Objective. However, as soon as metamodels become large, navigating through large metamodels becomes a tedious task that hinders their understanding. So, a real need to support metamodel comprehension appears. Method. In this work we promote the use of model slicing techniques to build interactive visualization tools for metamodels. Model slicing is a model comprehension technique inspired by program slicing. We show how the use of Kompren, a domain-specific language for defining model slicers, can ease the development of such interactive visualization features. Results. We specifically make four main contributions. First, the proposed interactive visualization techniques permit users to focus on metamodel elements of interest, which aims at improving the understandability. Second, these proposed techniques are developed based on model slicing, a model comprehension technique that involves extracting a subset of model elements of interest. Third, we develop a metamodel visualizer, called Explen, embedding the proposed interactive visualization techniques. Fourth, we conducted experiments. showing that Explen significantly outperforms EcoreTools, in terms of time, correctness, and navigation effort, on metamodeling tasks. Conclusion. The results of the experiments, in favor of Explen, show that improving metamodel understanding can be done using slicing-based interactive navigation features.

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“…Complementary to our work, techniques have been proposed to visualize large UML class diagrams based on focus+context techniques [32,33].…”

Section: Visualizing Modelsmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…Kagdi et al [32] propose the use of onion graphs [37] as another focus+context technique for visualizing large UML class models. The focus area is presented in detail with standard UML notation while the rest of the model is abstracted at various levels of detail and presented in onion notation.…”

Section: Visualizing Modelsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing the use of slicing-based visualizing techniques on the understanding of large metamodels

Blouin¹,

Moha²,

Baudry³

et al. 2015

Information and Software Technology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Also, we keep the focus on the class diagram representation promoted and widely-used within the MDE community. Complementary to our work, techniques have been proposed to visualize large UML class diagrams based on focus+context techniques [13], [14]. One difference compare to these works is our use of a language for defining model slicers.…”

Section: Motivating Scenariomentioning

confidence: 99%

Slicing-Based Techniques for Visualizing Large Metamodels

Blouin

Moha²,

Baudry³

et al. 2014

2014 Second IEEE Working Conference on Software Visualization

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Abstract-In model-driven engineering, a model describes an aspect of a system. A model conforms to a metamodel that defines the concepts and relationships of a given domain. Metamodels are thus corner-stones of various meta-modeling activities that require a good understanding of the metamodels or parts of them. Current metamodel editing tools are based on standard visualization and navigation features, such as physical zooms. However, as soon as metamodels become larger, navigating through large metamodels becomes a tedious task that hinders their understanding. In this work, we promote the use of model slicing techniques to build visualization techniques dedicated to metamodels. We propose an approach based on model slicing, inspired from program slicing, to build interactive visualization techniques dedicated to metamodels. These techniques permit users to focus on metamodel elements of interest, which aims at improving the understandability. This approach is implemented in a metamodel visualizer, called Explen.

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“…Most of the research on enhancing the user interface of modeling tools focused on the visualization, navigation and rarely on manipulation techniques, e.g., onion graphs for visualizing UML class diagrams [11], semantic zooming for navigating UML diagrams [12] and off-screen visualization technique for UML class diagrams [3]. Despite these efforts, working with user interfaces of modeling tools is still considered as arduous [13].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

ImitGraphs: Towards Faster Usability Tests of Graphical Model Manipulation Techniques

Ghazi¹,

Glinz²

2017

2017 IEEE/ACM 9th International Workshop on Modelling in Software Engineering (MiSE)

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Due to the increasing use of general purpose graphical models (e.g., UML diagrams) and domain specific graphical models in different stages of software development, software engineers who work with these models spend more time interacting with modeling tools. Thus, the usability of interaction techniques of modeling tools affects the overall productivity of software development. Tool developers and user interface designers rely on the feedback from usability tests to optimize the user interface of tools that provide a graphical editor. Developing a working prototype to test new techniques is costly due to the complexity and variety of graphical models. This results in either tests at the late stages of development when changes are more expensive, or tests with prototypes that only support a subset of the intended graphical models, thus not comprehensive. In order to simplify conducting usability tests, instead of using the intended graphical models in the tests, we propose to use simpler models that require similar interactions when being manipulated. For this purpose, we introduced ImitGraphs, an extended graph with additional properties so that it can be specialized in interacting similarly to an intended graphical model. Then, we designed a method to instruct test participants to create ImitGraphs. Specialized graphs enable us to develop prototypes for usability tests faster and consequently cheaper resulting in more usability tests at early stages of tool development and on a wider range of intended models. Abstract-Due to the increasing use of both general-purpose and domain-specific graphical models (e.g., UML diagrams or graphic DSLs) in different stages of software development, software engineers who work with these models spend more time interacting with modeling tools. Thus, the usability of the interaction techniques employed by modeling tools affects the overall productivity of software development. Tool developers and user interface designers rely on the feedback from usability tests to optimize the user interface of tools that provide a graphical editor. Developing a working prototype to test new techniques is costly due to the complexity and variety of graphical models. This results in either tests at the late stages of development when changes are more expensive, or tests with prototypes that only support a subset of the intended graphical models. In order to simplify conducting usability tests, instead of using the intended graphical models in the tests, we propose to use simpler models that require similar interactions when being manipulated. For this purpose, we introduce graphs with additional properties, which we call ImitGraphs. ImitGraphs can be parametrized such that their interaction behavior is similar to that of an intended graphical model. Further, we introduce a method to instruct test participants to create ImitGraphs and manipulate them. ImitGraphs enable tool builders to develop prototypes for usability tests faster and consequently cheaper, thus resulting in more usabil...

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Onion Graphs for Focus+Context Views of UML Class Diagrams

Abstract: Abstract

Cited by 14 publications

References 20 publications

Assessing the use of slicing-based visualizing techniques on the understanding of large metamodels

Assessing the use of slicing-based visualizing techniques on the understanding of large metamodels

Slicing-Based Techniques for Visualizing Large Metamodels

ImitGraphs: Towards Faster Usability Tests of Graphical Model Manipulation Techniques

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