Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Graphical scenarios for specifying temporal properties: an automated approach

  • Published:
Automated Software Engineering Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Temporal logics are commonly used for reasoning about concurrent systems. Model checkers and other finite-state verification techniques allow for automated checking of system model compliance to given temporal properties. These properties are typically specified as linear-time formulae in temporal logics. Unfortunately, the level of inherent sophistication required by these formalisms too often represents an impediment to move these techniques from “research theory” to “industry practice”. The objective of this work is to facilitate the nontrivial and error prone task of specifying, correctly and without expertise in temporal logic, temporal properties.

In order to understand the basis of a simple but expressive formalism for specifying temporal properties we critically analyze commonly used in practice visual notations. Then we present a scenario-based visual language called Property Sequence Chart (PSC) that, in our opinion, fixes the highlighted lacks of these notations by extending a subset of UML 2.0 Interaction Sequence Diagrams. We also provide PSC with both denotational and operational semantics. The operational semantics is obtained via translation into Büchi automata and the translation algorithm is implemented as a plugin of our Charmy tool. Expressiveness of PSC has been validated with respect to well known property specification patterns.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alfonso, A., Braberman, V., Kicillof, N., Olivero, A.: Visual timed event scenarios. In: 26th ICSE’04. Edinburgh, Scotland, UK (2004)

  • André, C., Peraldi-Frati, M.-A., Rigault, J.-P.: Scenario and property checking of real-time systems using a synchronous approach. In: 4th IEEE Int. Symp. on OO Real-Time Distributed Computing (2001)

  • Autili, M., Inverardi, P., Pelliccione, P.: A scenario based notation for specifying temporal properties. In: 5th International Workshop on Scenarios and State Machines: Models, Algorithms and Tools (SCESM’06) Shanghai, China, May 27 (2006a)

  • Autili, M., Pelliccione, P.: Towards a graphical tool for refining user to system requirements. In: 5th GT-VMT’06–ETAPS’06, to appear in ENTCS (2006b)

  • Braberman, V., Kicillof, N., Olivero, A.: A scenario-matching approach to the description and model checking of real-time properties. IEEE Trans. Softw. Eng. 31(12), 1028–1041 (2005)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Buchi, J.R.: On a decision method in restricted second order arithmetic. In: Proc. of the Int. Congress of Logic, Methodology and Philosophy of Science (1960)

  • Charmy Project: Charmy web site. http://www.di.univaq.it/charmy (2004)

  • Clarke, E.M., Grumberg, O., Peled, D.A.: Model Checking. MIT Press, Cambridge (2001)

    Google Scholar 

  • Colangelo, D., Compare, D., Inverardi, P., Pelliccione, P.: Reducing software architecture models complexity: a slicing and abstraction approach. In: FORTE 2006, Paris, France, 26–29 September 2006, Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol. 4229, pp. 243–258 (2006)

  • Damm, W., Harel, D.: LSCs: breathing life into message sequence charts. Form. Methods Syst. Des. 19(1), 45–80 (2001)

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Dillon, L.K., Kutty, G., Moser, L.E., Melliar-Smith, P.M., Ramakrishna, Y.S.: A graphical interval logic for specifying concurrent systems. ACM Trans. Softw. Eng. Methodol. 3(2), 131–165 (1994)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dwyer, M.B., Avrunin, G.S., Corbett, J.C.: Patterns in property specifications for finite-state verification. In: ICSE, pp. 411–420 (1999)

  • Gerth, R., Peled, D., Vardi, M., Wolper, P.: Simple On-the-Fly Automatic Verification of Linear Temporal Logic, pp. 3–18. Chapman and Hall, London (1995)

    Google Scholar 

  • Harel, D., Marelly, R.: Playing with time: on the specification and execution of time-enriched LSCs. In: MASCOTS’02, p. 0193 (2002)

  • Haugen, Ø, Comparing UML 2.0 interactions and MSC-2000. In: SAM, pp. 65–79 (2004)

  • Holzmann, G.J.: The logic of bugs. In: Proc. Foundations of Software Engineering (SIGSOFT 2002/FSE-10) (2002)

  • Holzmann, G.J.: The SPIN Model Checker: Primer and Reference Manual. Addison–Wesley, Reading (2003)

    Google Scholar 

  • ITU-T Recommendation Z. 120.: Message sequence charts. ITU Telecom. Standardisation Sector (1999)

  • Klose, J., Wittke, H.: An automata based interpretation of live sequence charts. In: TACAS 2001. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol. 2031, pp. 512–527 (2001)

  • Kugler, H., Harel, D., Pnueli, A., Lu, Y., Bontemps, Y.: Temporal logic for scenario-based specifications. In: 11th Int. Conf. TACAS’05. Springer, Berlin (2005)

    Google Scholar 

  • Lee, I., Sokolsky, O.: A graphical property specification language. In: High-Assurance Systems Engineering Workshop, Washington, DC (1997)

  • Manna, Z., Pnueli, A.: The Temporal Logic of Reactive and Concurrent Systems. Springer, New York (1991)

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Object Management Group (OMG): UML: superstructure version 2.0 (2004)

  • Pnueli, A.: The temporal logic of programs. In: Proc. 18th IEEE Symposium on Foundation of Computer Science, pp. 46–57 (1977)

  • PSC Project: PSC web site. http://www.di.univaq.it/psc2ba (2005)

  • Smith, M.H., Holzmann, G.J., Etessami, K.: Events and constraints: a graphical editor for capturing logic properties of programs. In: 5th International Symposium on Requirements Engineering, August 2001

  • Smith, R.L., Avrunin, G.S., Clarke, L.A., Osterweil, L.J.: PROPEL: an approach supporting property elucidation. In: ICSE2002, pp. 11–21 (2002)

  • Störrle, H.: Semantics of interactions in UML 2.0. In: VLFM’03 Intl. Ws. Visual Languages and Formal Methods, at HCC’03, Auckland, NZ (2003)

  • Tivoli, M., Autili, M.: SYNTHESIS: a tool for synthesizing “correct” and protocol-enhanced adaptors. In: RSTI–L’objet Journal 12/2006, WCAT’04, pp. 77–103 (2004)

  • Uchitel, S., Kramer, J., Magee, J.: Incremental elaboration of scenario-based specifications and behavior models using implied scenarios. ACM Trans. Softw. Eng. Methodol. 13(1), 37–85 (2004)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zanolin, L., Ghezzi, C., Baresi, L.: An approach to model and validate publish/subscribe architectures. In: SAVCBS (2003)

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dipartimento di Informatica, University of L’Aquila, 67010, L’Aquila, Italy

    M. Autili, P. Inverardi & P. Pelliccione

Authors
  1. M. Autili
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. P. Inverardi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. P. Pelliccione
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to M. Autili.

Additional information

Preliminary results appeared in (Autili et al. 2006a).

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Autili, M., Inverardi, P. & Pelliccione, P. Graphical scenarios for specifying temporal properties: an automated approach. Autom Softw Eng 14, 293–340 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10515-007-0012-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10515-007-0012-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation