Supporting Design by Pattern-based Transformations

Software development raises the need for traceability, i.e., the ability to control the consistency among software artifacts produced at different stages of the software life-cycle. Traceability cannot be obtained without a systematic transformational approach to software development. In this paper, we present a pattern-based approach1 to the correct stepwise refinement of UML static and dynamic design models by application of refinement schemas. A refinement schema is composed of two compartments. The first compartment describes the abstract model of the design, whereas the second compartment shows its corresponding detailed model after transformation and instantiation of one design pattern. We also propose a number of smaller transformations called micro-refinements whose correctness is proven. These micro-refinements can be composed into sequences to produce correct refinement schemas. The incorporation of our approach in a CASE tool will allow for the documentation, traceability, and automation of detailed design.