ECOOP 2003 Workshop

Correctness of Model-based Software Composition (CMC)

Usually, the development of a software application is subdivided in several sub problems according to the different concerns. The difficult task is the composition of the corresponding resulting solution spaces. This is already a well-known problem and it appears in different disciplines where composition is necessary: patterns, modules and frameworks, object-oriented-, component-based-, aspect-oriented and generative software development.

Two important problems in composition are: first how to model the different assets (such as components, features or aspects) and second the composition of assets such that consistency and correctness is guaranteed. The first problem has been addressed in the Workshop on Model-based Software Reuse (ECOOP 2002). The latter problem occurs when dealing with, e.g., component interoperability, aspect weaving, feature interaction and (on a more abstract level) traceability between different views or models. Conventional object-oriented modeling languages (like the UML) are used for communicating user requirements and system designs, but fail to support the composition of separate parts or views

One approach to deal with the composition problem is to use models allowing to (a) check their interoperability, (b) check correctness of the configuration of assets, (c) predict properties of the assembled system (especially compliance with user requirements), and d) apply suitable resolution algorithms in case of problem detection.

The workshop concentrates on this model-based approach to enforce correctness and consistency of software composition. As a result of the workshop the organisers would like to see a common understanding on which properties such models must have to ensure consistent and correct composition of assets.