Development of Tools for Object Oriented Programs with Explicit State Emphasis Engineering Maxim Mazine March 31st, 2004

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Development of Tools for Object Oriented Programs
with Explicit StateEmphasis EngineeringMaxim
MazineMarch 31st, 2004
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Problem Statement (1)

• In UML there are means to model both static
  program structure (class diagrams) and dynamic
  (state diagrams, collaboration diagrams, sequence
  diagrams).
• A number of methodologies for static program
  structure modeling and automated code creation.
• Description of behavioral is generally informal
• No semantic link with code.
• Diagrams are used only for object domain
  disclosing.
• No methodology to design complex logic
• Collaboration and sequence diagrams are useless
  in this case.
• State diagrams as proposed by UML authors could
  hardly be used because of identifiers flood on
  diagrams. Moreover there are limits on state
  machines nesting.

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Problem Statement (2)
design
development
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Approach

• Analyze problem domain, create conceptual model.
• Extract controlled objects and state machines.
• Design class diagram using free UML modeling tool
  ArgoUML.
• Put controlled objects on the right hand.
• Put state machines on the left.
• Assign names to links between state machines and
  controlled objects using identifiers like Oi.
• Define methods of two main types for every
  controlled object
• Incoming effects (Xj).
• Outcoming effects (Zk).
• Implement incoming effects and outcoming effects
  manually.
• Create state-transition (Moore-Mealy) graphs on
  state diagrams.
• Specify events on transitions (Em) in addition.
• Automatically convert class diagram and
  state-transition graphs to XML state-machine
  description or target language code.

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UniMod consists of

• Core
• State machine meta-model.
• Algorithms for parsing and translation of guard
  conditions.
• Algorithms for state machines validation.
• Framework for runtime XML description
  interpreting.
• Target language code creating tools.
• Plug-in
• Common module for all UML design tools.
• Module for UniMod integration with ArgoUML.

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Design (UniMod plug-in)

• UniMod helps to design state machines using UML
  design tools.

• Gives comfortable state machine tree view.
• Validates state-machine on the fly and highlights
  errors.
• State attainability check.
• Consistency of transition set.
• Completeness of transition set.
• Generates state machine code
• State Machine XML description for further
  interpreting or
• Code for target programming language to compile.

State-transition graph
State machine structure
State machine structure
Validation messages
Logs
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Development (runtime)

• There are two approaches for runtime state
  machine execution
• Interpreting
• Java XML interpreting framework.
• XML description is converted into internal object
  presentation once and completely. Resulting
  system consists of runtime environment and object
  representation of state machine.
• To handle event this system
• Analyzes the event and incoming effects to
  chooses the transition
• Executes outcoming effects
• Invokes internal state machines.
• The system is able to produce logs
• verbose (reflects state machine activities)
• non-verbose (only dumps effects invokes).
• Compilation
• State machines are hard coded.
• Events handling accomplished using SWITCH
  technology.

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Benefits

• Based on proven standards (UML)
• Removes gap between design and implementation
• Consistent and valid model based on finite-state
  machine theory
• Leads to consistent code
• Accelerates application development
• Supports the methodology with the tool
• Errors on diagrams highlighting
• Use forward engineering for
• XML State Machine Description (interpreting)
• Target language code (compiling)
• Mandatory documentation
• Redundant artifacts are removed because diagrams
  are project documents and part of programs
  simultaneously.

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Hosting

• The project is supported by eVelopers
  Corp. http//www.evelopers.com/
• UniMod is an open source project located at
  SourceForge
• http//unimod.sourceforge.net/
• Foundation for Open Project Documentation
  http//is.ifmo.ru/

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Thank You!