Context-attributed graph grammar framework for specifying visual languages

Since the specifications of most of the existing context-sensitive graph grammars tend to be either too intricate or not intuitive, a novel context-sensitive graph grammar formalism, called context-attributed graph grammar（CAGG）, is proposed. In order to resolve the embedding problem, context information of a graph production in the CAGG is represented in the form of context attributes of the nodes involved. Moreover, several properties of a set of confluent CAGG productions are characterized, and then an algorithm based on them is developed to decide whether or not a set of productions is confluent, which provides the foundation for the design of efficient parsing algorithms. It can also be shown through the comparison of CAGG with several typical context-sensitive graph grammars that CAGG is more succinct and, at the same time, more intuitive than the others, making it more suitably and effortlessly applicable to the specification of visual languages.

GRAPH GRAMMAR METHOD FOR 3-D CORNER DETECTION

Most of local feature descriptors assume that the scene is planar. In the real scene, the captured images come from the 3-D world. 3-D corner as a novel invariant feature is important for the image matching and the object detection, while automatically discriminating 3-D corners from ordinary corners is difficult. A novel method for 3-D corner detection is proposed based on the image graph grammar, and it can detect the 3-D features of corners to some extent. Experimental results show that the method is valid and the 3-D corner is useful for image matching.

Towards automated software model checking using graph transformation systems and Bogor

Graph transformation systems have become a general formal modeling language to describe many models in software development process.Behavioral modeling of dynamic systems and model-to-model transformations are only a few examples in which graphs have been used to software development.But even the perfect graph transformation system must be equipped with automated analysis capabilities to let users understand whether such a formal specification fulfills their requirements.In this paper,we present a new solution to verify graph transformation systems using the Bogor model checker.The attributed graph grammars(AGG)-like graph transformation systems are translated to Bandera intermediate representation(BIR),the input language of Bogor,and Bogor verifies the model against some interesting properties defined by combining linear temporal logic(LTL) and special-purpose graph rules.Experimental results are encouraging,showing that in most cases our solution improves existing approaches in terms of both performance and expressiveness.

Verifying specifications with associated attributes in graph transformation systems

Graph transformation is an important modeling and analysis technique widely applied in software engineer- ing. The attributes can naturally conceptualize the properties of the modeled artifacts. However, the lack of support for the specification of such attribute correspondence by ordi- nary propositional temporal logics hampers its further appli- cation during verification. Different from the theoretical in- vestigations on quantified second order logics, we propose a practical and light-weight approach for the verification of this kind of temporal specifications with associated attributes. Particularly, we apply our approach and extend the general- purpose graph transformation modeling tool： GROOVE. More- over, symmetry reduction techniques are exploited to reduce the number of states. Experiments with performance evalua- tions complement our discussion and demonstrate the feasi- bility and efficiency of our approach.

xBreeze/ADL:A Language for Software Architecture Specification and Analysis

Architecture description languages play an important role in modelling software architectures. However, many architecture description languages （ADLs） are either unable to deal with the verification and dynamic changes directly or too formal to be understood and manipulated. This paper presents xBreeze/ADL, a novel extensible markup language （XML）-based verification and evolution supported architecture description language, which is specifically designed for modelling the software architecture of large, complex systems. Five principle design goals are 1） to separate template from instance to define a loose coupling structure, 2） to present virtual and concrete link to identify service execution flow, 3） to clearly represent component behaviour to specify architecture semantics, 4） to introduce multi-dimension restrictions to define the architecture constraints, and 5） to use the graph transformation theory to implement the architecture configuration management （i.e., reconfiguration and verification）. Various advanced features of xBreeze/ADL are illustrated by using an example on online movie ticket booking system.

An Approach to Modelling and Analysing Reliability of Breeze/ADL-based Software Architecture

Breeze/architecture description language（ADL）, is an eX tensible markup language（XML） based architecture description language which is used to model software systems at the architecture level. Though Breeze/ADL provides an appropriate basis for architecture modelling, it can neither analyse nor evaluate the architecture reliability. In this paper, we propose a Breeze/ADL based strategy which, by combining generalized stochastic Petri net（GSPN） and tools for reliability analysis, supports architecture reliability modelling and evaluation. This work expands the idea in three directions： Firstly, we give a Breeze/ADL reliability model in which we add error attributes to Breeze/ADL error model for capturing architecture error information, and at the same time perform the system error state transition through the Breeze/ADL production. Secondly, we present how to map a Breeze/ADL reliability model to a GSPN model, which in turn can be used for reliability analysis. The other task is to develop a Breeze/ADL reliability analysis modelling tool–EXGSPN（Breeze/ADL reliability analysis modelling tool）, and combine it with platform independent petri net editor 2（PIPE2） to carry out a reliability assessment.Abstract： Breeze/architecture description language （ADL）, is an eXtensible markup language （XML） based architecture description language which is used to model software systems at the architecture level. Though Breeze/ADL provides an appropriate basis for architecture modelling, it can neither analyse nor evaluate the architecture reliability. In this paper, we propose a Breeze/ADL based strategy which, by combining generalized stochastic Petri net （GSPN） and tools for reliability analysis, supports architecture reliability modelling and evaluation. This work expands the idea in three directions： Firstly, we give a Breeze/ADL reliability model in which we add error attributes to Breeze/ADL error model for capturing architecture error information, and at the same time perform the system error state transition through the Breeze/ADL production. Secondly, we present how to map a Breeze/ADL reliability model to a GSPN model, which in turn can be used for reliability analysis. The other task is to develop a Breeze/ADL reliability analysis modelling tool-EXGSPN （Breeze/ADL reliability analysis modelling tool）, and combine it with platform independent petri net editor 2 （PIPE2） to carry out a reliability assessment.