Monday 19 October, 1998
Vancouver, BC
Organizers:
Jean Bézivin (LRSG, University of Nantes, FR)
Johannes Ernst (Aviatis Corp., Sunnyvale, USA)
Woody Pidcock (Boeing, Seattle, USA)
Overview:
The issue of interoperability between different object (or non-object) models used in the software development cycle is becoming critical. In order to cope with the increasing number and variety of involved models (business, requirement, design, etc.), we need some kind of unifying framework. Among the different modeling frameworks currently available, CDIF is probably one of the most promising. Many recent proposals (like UML) have used or taken inspiration from CDIF. Bridges are currently being designed to facilitate the correspondance between CDIF and other formalisms like STEP/EXPRESS.
We intend to provide a forum for presentation and discussion of ideas and experiences in the areas of model engineering, methods and tools integration with CDIF or similar conceptual tools.
Focus will be put on the mechanics of interoperability between object models (for example analysis, design and programming models). More generally we hope that this meeting will allow people from the object-oriented community to share their concern and knowledge about the growing importance of model construction, model transformation, model integration, model interoperability, and all other forms of model engineering.
What is CDIF?
The primary goal of CDIF is to let modelling tools understand each other. This includes interoperability between and among CASE tools, other related modelling tools and repositories. In order to do that, CDIF defines an integrated meta-model (i.e. a common, integrated understanding of what the models are the tools are talking about), and ways to communicate models or specific aspects of models among software product, such as through a file format or bindings to distributed object technologies.
CDIF covers both the semantics and graphics of models, but they are not merged, so semantic concepts can have zero or more graphical representations, or there could be models which are graphics only. CDIF focuses on the description of the information to be transferred, not on data management. CDIF is a pragmatic technology dealing with Software and Systems Engineering techniques supported by commonly available CASE and related modeling tools. Some examples of these techniques are Data Flow Modeling (such as Gane/Sarson, Yourdon/DeMarco, but also Shlaer-Mellor), Data Modeling (as in common conceptual, logical and physical information modeling), State Event Modeling (as in Mealy/Moore, but also Harel and object-oriented techniques), Object-Oriented Modeling (as in OMT, Booch, UML, Shlaer-Mellor, OOIE, etc.), Computer Aided Control Systems design (as in CACSD block diagrams), Project Management, etc.
CDIF strives to provide a representation for a given area of interest within Software Engineering / Systems Engineering adhering to the principle of "highest common denominator". This is a synthesis of elements in common use between tools covering a particular area. All these "areas" (in CDIF terms: Subject Areas) are in fact "views" of an integrated representation of modeling information (the CDIF Integrated Meta-model). For example, the concept of an Attribute is defined only once but used in several Subject Areas, such as Object-oriented Analysis and Design, Data Modeling, Data Flow Modeling, State/Event Modeling.
Organization:
Any proposal related to CDIF or similar model formalisms will be welcome. We will have presentation and discussion of the papers received from attendees.
The workshop will be broken up into sections of related papers based on the proposals received. A preliminary set of topics includes (list non exhaustive):
- Architecture of meta-models,
- CDIF support for Domain modeling, BPR, Workflow, Requirement Engineering,
- Norms and standards in the OO software development process,
- Modularity concepts in modeling,
- Knowledge management,
- Interoperability issues in model engineering (e.g. alignment techniques)
- Relations between different formalisms (e.g. CDIF, STEP/EXPRESS, KIF, Conceptual Graphs)
- Representation of spatial and temporal aspects,
- Object ontologies,
- Practical experience with CDIF,
- Different forms of tool communication,
- New support for presentation and transfer (XML, etc.),
- Joint or independent expression for products and processes,
- Repositories and Metadata systems,
- ....
Requirements for Attendance:
Prospective participants are invited to submit at least a short (3-4 pages) text-only file summarizing the experience they wish to share at the workshop. More complete documents in other formats (HTML, Word, PS, etc.) are also welcome and will be made available on the Web site of the workshop before the conference.
Papers must be submitted by July 31 and participants will be notified of acceptance by August 15. If the proposal is accepted, the participant is expected to prepare a 15-20 minute presentation for the workshop (length may vary based on attendance).
Send submissions (text files) to all of the three following e-mail addresses:
Organizers:
- Jean Bézivin (primary contact)
- professor of Computer Science
- LRSG (Laboratoire de Recherche en Sciences de Gestion)
- Faculté des Sciences et Techniques
- Université de Nantes
- 2, rue de la Houssinière
- BP 92208
- 44322 Nantes Cedex 3
- France
- Phone: +33 251-125-813
- Fax: +33 251-125-812
- e-mail: bezivin@sciences.univ-nantes.fr
- Johannes Ernst
- President
- Aviatis Corp.
- 668 Starbush Dr.
- Sunnyvale, CA 94086, USA
- +1 408-296-6429 (phone and fax)
- e-mail: jernst@aviatis.com
- Woody Pidcock
- System Architect
- Software Engineering Arch. & Tools
- Research and Technology
- Information and Support Services
- The Boeing Company
- P.O. Box 3707 MS 7L-16
- Seattle, WA 98124-2207, USA
- Phone: +1 425-865-6656
- Fax: +1 425-865-6914
- e-mail: woody.pidcock@boeing.com