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A component framework for system modeling based on high-level replacement systems

  • Special section on graph transformations and visual modeling techniques
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Abstract

The aim of this paper is to present a generic component framework for system modeling that satisfies main requirements for component-based development in software engineering. In this sense, we have defined a framework that can be used, by providing an adequate instantiation, in connection with a large class of semi-formal and formal modeling techniques. Moreover, the framework is also flexible with respect to the connection of components, providing a compositional semantics of components. This means more precisely that the semantics of a system can be inferred from the semantics of its components. In contrast to other component concepts for data type specification techniques, our component framework is based on a generic notion of transformations. In particular, refinements and transformations are used to express intradependencies, between the export interface and the body of a component, and interdependencies, between the import and the export interfaces of different components. The generic component framework generalizes module concepts for different kinds of Petri nets and graph transformation systems proposed in the literature, and seems to be also suitable for visual modeling techniques, including parts of the UML, if these techniques provide a suitable refinement or transformation concept. In this paper the generic approach is instantiated in two steps. First to high-level replacement systems generalizing the transformation concept of graph transformations. In a second step it is further instantiated to low-level and high-level Petri nets. To show applicability we present sample components from a case study in the domain of production automation as proposed in a priority program of the German Research Council (DFG).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Softwaretechnik und Theoretische Informatik Sekr. FR 6-1, Technische Universität Berlin, Franklinstrasse 28/29, 10587, Berlin, Germany

    Hartmut Ehrig, Benjamin Braatz & Markus Klein

  2. Universidad Politècnica de Catalunya, Campus Nord, Mòdul C6, Jordi Girona 1-3, 08034, Barcelona, Spain

    Fernando Orejas

  3. Sofnetix Ltd., Nahkatehtaankatu 2, 90100, Oulu, Finland

    Martti Piirainen

Authors
  1. Hartmut Ehrig
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  2. Fernando Orejas
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  3. Benjamin Braatz
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  4. Markus Klein
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  5. Martti Piirainen
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Correspondence to Hartmut Ehrig.

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Ehrig, H., Orejas, F., Braatz, B. et al. A component framework for system modeling based on high-level replacement systems. Softw Syst Model 3, 114–135 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10270-003-0043-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10270-003-0043-9

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