From requirements to statecharts via design refinement

The derivation of statecharts from requirements has been addressed from many perspectives. All of them assume that the derivation process is a linear series of refinements resulting in a single statechart, thereby missing the opportunity to explore alternatives in the design space. We propose a multi-dimensional approach that exploits inherent variability of the design space, where alternative refinements are considered for the same intermediate problem, resulting in multiple solutions (statecharts) from a single initial problem (requirements). In order to accomplish this, we propose an extended form of goal model where architects can incrementally refine the original requirements by considering behavioral alternatives leading to design solutions. The proposed refinement process is illustrated through an example from the literature. Experimentation with randomly generated models suggests that the proposal is scalable.