HumanUsable Textual Notation HUTN

1
Human-Usable Textual Notation(HUTN)

• Keith Duddy, DSTC
• hutn_at_dstc.edu.au

Submission ad/2002-03-02
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Revised Submission

• Submitters
• Data Access
• DSTC
• IBM
• Open-IT
• Supporters
• France Telecom
• IONA
• SINTEF
• Unisys

3
Motivation

• XMI is often too verbose for human
  construction/consumption without tools
• Textual notations offer advantages over graphical
  tools (search/replace, complexity)
• Hand-written tools or languages take time to
  develop, and require maintenance if the metamodel
  changes

4
Requirements

• RFP calls for
• Human-usable textual notations for (EDOC) models
• A(n optional) generic approach
• Close relationship with XMI

5
Our Approach

• Generic solution
• based on generation of textual language from any
  MOF model
• same approach as XMI

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The Big Picture
MOF Meta-Model Repository
generates
Generated XMI Schema/DTD
Generated HUTN Language
MOFlet Model Repository
XMI Document
HUTN Document
Transform
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Generic Approach Benefits

• Consistency
• All generated languages have similar structure
  and style (look and feel)
• Automation
• Producer and consumer code can be fully generated
• Completeness
• Any MOF model can have a HUTN language

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Example MOF Model

• Event Notification model

inherits
EventType
contains
domain string name string private boolean
imports
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Example XMI

• ltXMI.contentgt
• ltNotification xmi.idnotif01gt
• ltNotification.EventTypeRepository
  xmi.idrepos1gt
• ltNotification.EventTypeRepository.contentsgt
• ltNotification.EventType xmi.idn4
  domainroom nameroomevent privatefalse /gt
• ltNotification.EventType xmi.idn2
  domainroom nameentry privatetrue
  inheritsn4/gt
• ltNotification.EventType xmi.idn3
  domainroom nameannounce privatefalse /gt
• lt/Notification.EventTypeRepository.contentsgt
• lt/Notification.EventTypeRepositorygt
• lt/Notificationgt
• lt/XMI.contentgt

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Example HUTN

• Notification notif01
• EventTypeRepository repos1
• EventType roomEvent domain room
• private EventType entry
• domain room
• inherits roomEvent
• EventType announce domain room

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HUTN Basic Structure

• Structure reflects containment
• Like XMI
• Major Structuring Concepts
• Package, Class, Association
• Detail Concepts
• Attributes, References, Links

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Language Variations and Customizations

• Renaming of MOF model elements
• Use of meaningful identifiers
• Attribute values as unique Ids for instances
• Identifiers relative to scope
• Shortened forms for references
• Boolean attributes as keywords/adjectives
• Enum attribute labels as adjectives
• Parametric form for attribute values
• Default values for attributes
• To avoid tedious repetition

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An automated approach

• Based on a metamodel and language configuration,
  generate a language automatically
• Common representations for packages, classes,
  associations, references, etc
• Producer for inspection of a MOF-compliant
  repositorys metadata
• Consumer for altering metadata and/or populating
  such a repository

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Example Notification

• Modified Notification model used as an example
  here

inherits
EventType
contains
domain string name string private boolean
imports
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Example Package

• Notification notif01
• EventTypeRepository repos1
• EventType roomEvent domain room
• private EventType entry
• domain room
• inherits roomEvent
• EventType announce domain room

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Example Classes

• Notification notif01
• EventTypeRepository repos1
• EventType roomEvent domain room
• private EventType entry
• domain room
• inherits roomEvent
• EventType announce domain room

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Example Attributes

• Notification notif01
• EventTypeRepository repos1
• EventType roomEvent domain room
• private EventType entry
• domain room
• inherits roomEvent
• EventType announce domain room

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Example References

• Notification notif01
• EventTypeRepository repos1
• EventType roomEvent domain room
• private EventType entry
• domain room
• inherits roomEvent
• EventType announce domain room

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Example HUTN

• Notification notif01
• EventTypeRepository repos1
• EventType roomEvent domain room
• private EventType entry
• domain room
• inherits roomEvent
• EventType announce domain room

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Language Configurations
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Identifiers

• Attribute values as unique Ids for instances
• Any single non-class-valued attribute can be used
• Family The Smiths
• Attribute and Reference representations
• Identifiers relative to scope
• Unless absolute package prefix / or absolute
  document prefix // is used, all scoping is
  relative

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Renaming

• Some MOF identifiers are inappropriate for use in
  textual languages
• Contain whitespace
• Clash with reserved words (true/false/null)
• Too long
• Renaming configurations allow tools to substitute
  more convenient names

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Shortened forms for references

• If a consistent naming scheme is used for
  references
• Type name can be elided
• Names of Containment References can be elided
• Family The Smiths
• familyFriends Family The McDonalds
• petFish Fish Wanda
• becomes
• Family The Smiths
• familyFriends The McDonalds
• Fish Wanda

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Keywords and Adjectives

• Keywords are single words in the body of an
  instance to replace an attribute name/value
• Adjectives are keywords that precede the instance
  type and identifier
• Boolean attributes can be keywords or adjectives
• nuclear Family The Smiths
• Family The Joneses nuclear
• Enum attribute labels can be adjectives
• male Person Peter Smith

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Parametric form for attribute values

• Some attributes always occur, and their values
  are conventionally listed in an order
• Attributes in parametric form are in parentheses
  after the instance type and ID
• filled polygon my_triangle
• coordinate (3.6, 7.3)
• coordinate (5.2, 7.673)
• coordinate (9.4 ,13)
• (Also shown above are negated boolean adjective,
  and contained instances)

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Default values for attributes

• Language Configurations may include default
  values for attributes
• When attributes have the default value they need
  not be explicitly declared
• This avoids tedious repetition

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HUTN for EDOC

• Derived using ECA metamodel
• Appropriate customisations and shorthands used
• name attributes as identifiers
• Default empty string values for most string
  attributes
• Eligible boolean attributes as adjectives
• Enum adjectives where suitable
• This configuaration to be made part of EDOC spec

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EDOC Example Model

• Business Process Example

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EDOC Example HUTN

• ECA BusinessProcessExample
• CompoundTask ct1
• portsUsed Pending
• portsUsed Approved
• nodes Pending nodes Approved
• nodes Orders In nodes Orders Out
• connections d1 connections d2
• Activity Approve Orders
• ResponsibleParty Order Approvals Officer

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EDOC Example HUTN

• Activity Approve Orders
• portsUsed Orders In portsUsed Orders Out
• responsibleFor Order Approvals Officer
• ResponsibleParty Order Approvals Officer
• responsiblePartyFor Approve Orders
• ProcessPortConnector Orders In
• extent Approve Orders
• incoming d1 represents Orders InGroup

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Prototype

• Developed against DSTCs dMOF product
• Generates an XSL stylesheet for conversion from
  XMI for production
• Generates a ANTLR grammar and backend for
  consumption
• Customizations specified in a generated language
  and stored in a repository
• http//www.dstc.com/Research/Projects/Pegamento/To
  kTok