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Implementing Hierarchical Features in a Graphically Based Formal Modelling Language. Peter Henderson, Robert John Walters and Stephen Crouch Department of Electronics and Computer Science, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK. Outline. Visual Formal Models? The problem
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Implementing Hierarchical Features in a Graphically Based Formal Modelling Language Peter Henderson, Robert John Walters and Stephen Crouch Department of Electronics and Computer Science, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
Outline • Visual Formal Models? • The problem • A solution (in RDT) • Conclusion
Formal models • An aid to building distributed systems • Execution • Rigorous analysis • Appeal of visual interface
RDT • Visual Modelling Language • Processes • Communication via channels • Tools for: • Model Creation • Execution • Translation to Promela
What goes wrong • Diagrams become cluttered • Simple solution: • Hide low level details within processes • RDT does this by showing only the name/type of processes and their channels in model diagrams • But this is not the whole solution
The Problem: • What we would like to draw:
The Problem • What we would like to draw: • What we actually do:
Issues: • Need to distinguish which end of a connector is which • Dangling ends: • What if about channels in the process not in the connector? • What about channels in the connector not known to the process? • What about channels which connect at just one end?
Conclusion • Visual Formal Models can be useful • Single level diagrams get cluttered • Addressing this requires attention to channels as well as processes, but it can be done