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Event-Based Semantics of UML 2.X Concurrent Sequence Diagrams for Formal Verification

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Abstract

UML 2.X sequence diagrams (SD) are among privileged scenarios-based approaches dealing with the complexity of modeling the behaviors of some current systems. However, there are several issues related to the standard semantics of UML 2.X SD proposed by the Object Management Group (OMG). They mainly concern ambiguities of the interpretation of SDs, and the computation of causal relations between events which is not specifically laid out. Moreover, SD is a semi-formal language, and it does not support the verification of the modeled system. This justifies the considerable number of research studies intending to define formal semantics of UML SDs. We proposed in our previous work semantics covering the most popular combined fragments (CF) of control-flow alt, opt, loop and seq, allowing to model alternative, optional, iterative and sequential behaviors respectively. The proposed semantics is based on partial order theory relations that permit the computation of the precedence relations between the events of an SD with nested CFs. We also addressed the issue of the evaluation of the interaction constraint (guard) for guarded CFs, and the related synchronization issue. In this paper, we first extend our semantics, proposed in our previous work; indeed, we propose new rules for the computation of causal relations for SD with par and strict CFs (dedicated to modeling concurrent and strict behaviors respectively) as well as their nesting. Then, we propose a transformational semantics in Event-B. Our modeling approach emphasizes computation of causal relations, guard handling and transformational semantics into Event-B. The transformation of UML 2.X SD into the formal method Event-B allows us to perform several kinds of verification including simulation, trace acceptance, verification of properties, and verification of refinement relation between SDs.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Sciences of Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, 1068, Tunis, Tunisia

    Inès Mouakher & Fatma Dhaou

  2. Institute of Technology, University of Nantes, 44 322, Nantes, France

    J. Christian Attiogbé

Authors
  1. Inès Mouakher
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  2. Fatma Dhaou
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  3. J. Christian Attiogbé
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Correspondence to Inès Mouakher.

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Mouakher, I., Dhaou, F. & Attiogbé, J.C. Event-Based Semantics of UML 2.X Concurrent Sequence Diagrams for Formal Verification. J. Comput. Sci. Technol. 37, 4–28 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11390-021-1673-5

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