Tool-assisted Concretization of Object-oriented Reference Models and Design Patterns
TL;DR
Investigation of concretization operations on reference models finds that explicit Incarnation Rules in reference models are required to specify and concretize design patterns, and that multi-incarnation must be applied with care, as incorrect use can lead to undesired concretization results.
Abstract
Reference models capture reusable domain knowledge, standards, and solutions to recurring problems such as design patterns. To support systematic reuse beyond analytical conformance checking, this paper investigates three constructive concretization operations on reference models: (1) completion of partial concrete models, (2) concretization/integration of design patterns into a concrete model, and (3) adaptation of supplementary artifacts. We demonstrate these operations for UML/P Class Diagrams (CDs) and the Object Constraint Language (OCL), and analyze the challenges and opportunities of supporting multiple incarnations of the same reference element within a single concretization. Our approach is realized in tools for automated CD completion and OCL adaptation, together with a generic reference-adaptation framework for MontiCore-based languages. Key findings are that explicit Incarnation Rules (IRs) in reference models are required to specify and concretize design patterns, and that multi-incarnation must be applied with care, as incorrect use can lead to undesired concretization results.