Search the site

The University of Manchester Library

In April 2016 Manchester eScholar was replaced by the University of Manchester’s new Research Information Management System, Pure. In the autumn the University’s research outputs will be available to search and browse via a new Research Portal. Until then the University’s full publication record can be accessed via a temporary portal and the old eScholar content is available to search and browse via this archive.

Constructing Component-based Systems Directly from Requirements Using Incremental Composition

Nordin, Azlin

[Thesis]. Manchester, UK: The University of Manchester; 2013.

Access to files

Abstract

In software engineering, system construction typically starts from a requirements specification that has been engineered from raw requirements in a natural language. The specification is used to derive intermediate requirements models such as structured or object-oriented models. Throughout the stages of system construction, these artefacts will be used as reference models. In general, in order to derive a design specification out of the requirements, the entire set of requirements specifications has to be analysed. Such models at best only approximate the raw requirements since these design models are derived as a result of the abstraction process according to the chosen software development methodology, and subjected to the expertise, intuition, judgment and experiences of the analysts or designers of the system. These abstraction models require the analysts to elicit all useful information from the requirements, and there is a potential risk that some information may be lost in the process of model construction. As the use of natural language requirements in system construction is inevitable, the central focus of this study was to use requirements stated in natural language in contrast to any other requirements representation (e.g. modelling artefact). In this thesis, an approach that avoids intermediate requirements models, and maps natural language requirements directly into architectural constructs, and thus minimises information loss during the model construction process, has been defined. This approach has been grounded on the adoption of a component model that supports incremental composition. Incremental composition allows a system to be constructed piece by piece. By mapping a raw requirement to elements of the component model, a partial architecture that satisfies that requirement is constructed. Consequently, by iterating this process for all the requirements, one at a time, the incremental composition to build the system piece by piece directly from the requirements can be achieved. In software engineering, system construction typically starts from a requirements specification that has been engineered from raw requirements in a natural language. The specification is used to derive intermediate requirements models such as structured or object-oriented models. Throughout the stages of system construction, these artefacts will be used as reference models. In general, in order to derive a design specification out of the requirements, the entire set of requirements specifications has to be analysed. Such models at best only approximate the raw requirements since these design models are derived as a result of the abstraction process according to the chosen software development methodology, and subjected to the expertise, intuition, judgment and experiences of the analysts or designers of the system. These abstraction models require the analysts to elicit all useful information from the requirements, and there is a potential risk that some information may be lost in the process of model construction. As the use of natural language requirements in system construction is inevitable, the central focus of this study was to use requirements stated in natural language in contrast to any other requirements representation (e.g. modelling artefact). In this thesis, an approach that avoids intermediate requirements models, and maps natural language requirements directly into architectural constructs, and thus minimises information loss during the model construction process, has been defined. This approach has been grounded on the adoption of a component model that supports incremental composition. Incremental composition allows a system to be constructed piece by piece. By mapping a raw requirement to elements of the component model, a partial architecture that satisfies that requirement is constructed. Consequently, by iterating this process for all the requirements, one at a time, the incremental composition to build the system piece by piece directly from the requirements can be achieved.

Layman's Abstract

In software engineering, system construction typically starts from a requirements specification that has been engineered from raw requirements in a natural language. The specification is used to derive intermediate requirements models such as structured or object-oriented models. Throughout the stages of system construction, these artefacts will be used as reference models. In general, in order to derive a design specification out of the requirements, the entire set of requirements specifications has to be analysed. Such models at best only approximate the raw requirements since these design models are derived as a result of the abstraction process according to the chosen software development methodology, and subjected to the expertise, intuition, judgment and experiences of the analysts or designers of the system. These abstraction models require the analysts to elicit all useful information from the requirements, and there is a potential risk that some information may be lost in the process of model construction. As the use of natural language requirements in system construction is inevitable, the central focus of this study was to use requirements stated in natural language in contrast to any other requirements representation (e.g. modelling artefact). In this thesis, an approach that avoids intermediate requirements models, and maps natural language requirements directly into architectural constructs, and thus minimises information loss during the model construction process, has been defined. This approach has been grounded on the adoption of a component model that supports incremental composition. Incremental composition allows a system to be constructed piece by piece. By mapping a raw requirement to elements of the component model, a partial architecture that satisfies that requirement is constructed. Consequently, by iterating this process for all the requirements, one at a time, the incremental composition to build the system piece by piece directly from the requirements can be achieved.

Additional content not available electronically

Appendix C : Case Studies will be provided in CD.

Bibliographic metadata

Type of resource:
Content type:
Administered thesis
Form of thesis:
Traditional
Type of submission:
Doctoral level ETD - final
Thesis title:
Constructing Component-based Systems Directly from Requirements Using Incremental Composition
Degree type:
Doctor of Philosophy
Degree programme:
PhD Computer Science
Publication date:
2013-09-16T15:42:19
Institution:
The University of Manchester
Location:
Manchester, UK
Total pages:
459
Abstract:
In software engineering, system construction typically starts from a requirements specification that has been engineered from raw requirements in a natural language. The specification is used to derive intermediate requirements models such as structured or object-oriented models. Throughout the stages of system construction, these artefacts will be used as reference models. In general, in order to derive a design specification out of the requirements, the entire set of requirements specifications has to be analysed. Such models at best only approximate the raw requirements since these design models are derived as a result of the abstraction process according to the chosen software development methodology, and subjected to the expertise, intuition, judgment and experiences of the analysts or designers of the system. These abstraction models require the analysts to elicit all useful information from the requirements, and there is a potential risk that some information may be lost in the process of model construction. As the use of natural language requirements in system construction is inevitable, the central focus of this study was to use requirements stated in natural language in contrast to any other requirements representation (e.g. modelling artefact). In this thesis, an approach that avoids intermediate requirements models, and maps natural language requirements directly into architectural constructs, and thus minimises information loss during the model construction process, has been defined. This approach has been grounded on the adoption of a component model that supports incremental composition. Incremental composition allows a system to be constructed piece by piece. By mapping a raw requirement to elements of the component model, a partial architecture that satisfies that requirement is constructed. Consequently, by iterating this process for all the requirements, one at a time, the incremental composition to build the system piece by piece directly from the requirements can be achieved. In software engineering, system construction typically starts from a requirements specification that has been engineered from raw requirements in a natural language. The specification is used to derive intermediate requirements models such as structured or object-oriented models. Throughout the stages of system construction, these artefacts will be used as reference models. In general, in order to derive a design specification out of the requirements, the entire set of requirements specifications has to be analysed. Such models at best only approximate the raw requirements since these design models are derived as a result of the abstraction process according to the chosen software development methodology, and subjected to the expertise, intuition, judgment and experiences of the analysts or designers of the system. These abstraction models require the analysts to elicit all useful information from the requirements, and there is a potential risk that some information may be lost in the process of model construction. As the use of natural language requirements in system construction is inevitable, the central focus of this study was to use requirements stated in natural language in contrast to any other requirements representation (e.g. modelling artefact). In this thesis, an approach that avoids intermediate requirements models, and maps natural language requirements directly into architectural constructs, and thus minimises information loss during the model construction process, has been defined. This approach has been grounded on the adoption of a component model that supports incremental composition. Incremental composition allows a system to be constructed piece by piece. By mapping a raw requirement to elements of the component model, a partial architecture that satisfies that requirement is constructed. Consequently, by iterating this process for all the requirements, one at a time, the incremental composition to build the system piece by piece directly from the requirements can be achieved.
Layman's abstract:
In software engineering, system construction typically starts from a requirements specification that has been engineered from raw requirements in a natural language. The specification is used to derive intermediate requirements models such as structured or object-oriented models. Throughout the stages of system construction, these artefacts will be used as reference models. In general, in order to derive a design specification out of the requirements, the entire set of requirements specifications has to be analysed. Such models at best only approximate the raw requirements since these design models are derived as a result of the abstraction process according to the chosen software development methodology, and subjected to the expertise, intuition, judgment and experiences of the analysts or designers of the system. These abstraction models require the analysts to elicit all useful information from the requirements, and there is a potential risk that some information may be lost in the process of model construction. As the use of natural language requirements in system construction is inevitable, the central focus of this study was to use requirements stated in natural language in contrast to any other requirements representation (e.g. modelling artefact). In this thesis, an approach that avoids intermediate requirements models, and maps natural language requirements directly into architectural constructs, and thus minimises information loss during the model construction process, has been defined. This approach has been grounded on the adoption of a component model that supports incremental composition. Incremental composition allows a system to be constructed piece by piece. By mapping a raw requirement to elements of the component model, a partial architecture that satisfies that requirement is constructed. Consequently, by iterating this process for all the requirements, one at a time, the incremental composition to build the system piece by piece directly from the requirements can be achieved.
Additional digital content not deposited electronically:
Appendix C : Case Studies will be provided in CD.
Keyword(s):
Thesis main supervisor(s):
Thesis advisor(s):
Funder(s):
Degree grantor:
Language:
en

Institutional metadata

University researcher(s):
Academic department(s):

Record metadata

Manchester eScholar ID:
uk-ac-man-scw:207642
Created by:
Nordin, Azlin
Created:
16th September, 2013, 14:42:20
Last modified by:
Nordin, Azlin
Last modified:
14th November, 2013, 14:26:51

Can we help?

The library chat service will be available from 11am-3pm Monday to Friday (excluding Bank Holidays). You can also email your enquiry to us.