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An Initial User Study Comparing the Readability of a Graphical Coordination Model with Event-B Notation

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Software Engineering and Formal Methods (SEFM 2017)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNPSE,volume 10729))

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Abstract

Given the advance of IoT applications, coordination of concurrent and distributed systems will become ever more important. However, the concepts are sometimes hard to grasp and comprehensive modelling tools with a high level of abstraction from cumbersome messaging code must be found. Readability and compact representation is often a selling point for graphical notations. But how does one substantiate that claim? How can textual and graphical notations be compared? We have conducted a small readability study comparing the basic Event-B to the graphical notation of the Peer Model - a compact and powerful coordination model. We discuss the results and lessons learned from this initial study.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    For differentiation from Peer Model notation, we write Event-B keywords in capitals.

  2. 2.

    Dag is a metric weight unit, 5 dag \(\hat{=}\) 1.76 oz.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Computer Languages, TU Wien, Vienna, Austria

    Eva Kühn & Sophie Therese Radschek

Authors
  1. Eva Kühn
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  2. Sophie Therese Radschek
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Eva Kühn or Sophie Therese Radschek .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Nazarbayev University, Astana, Kazakhstan

    Antonio Cerone

  2. Fondazione Bruno Kessler, Povo, Italy

    Marco Roveri

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Kühn, E., Radschek, S.T. (2018). An Initial User Study Comparing the Readability of a Graphical Coordination Model with Event-B Notation. In: Cerone, A., Roveri, M. (eds) Software Engineering and Formal Methods. SEFM 2017. Lecture Notes in Computer Science(), vol 10729. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-74781-1_38

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-74781-1_38

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-74780-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-74781-1

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