Defining the semantics of rule-based Web applications through model-driven development

Abstract

Rule languages and inference engines incorporate reasoning capabilities to Web information systems. This paper presents an approach for the specification and development of Web applications performing the usual functionalities of data management and incorporating a rule engine for reasoning capabilities. The proposed approach is based on the definition of a high-level representation of the semantics of rule-based applications through a formalism for conceptual modeling combining lightweight ontologies and production rules. These models are used as the source for a model-driven method that applies several transformations to conceptual models generating the rule-based Web application code in an automatic process. As a result, the rule-based Web application embeds a rule engine suitable for deducing information by applying an inference process. The structure of the information managed by the Web application is based on ontology classes, whereas the logical expressions applied in reasoning are obtained from production rules of the model. A rule-based Web application has been developed and evaluated using a supporting tool that implements the ideas presented in this paper.

End-user development of knowledge bases for semi-automated formation of task cards

“…In this case, each transformation rule describes the correspondence between the elements of source and target metamodels. There are examples of successful use of MDE for the development of database applications (e.g., ECO, for Enterprise Core Objects), agent-oriented monitoring applications, decision support systems, embedded systems (software components) for the Internet, and intelligence systems [16][17][18][19][20].…”

Designing rule‐based expert systems with the aid of the model‐driven development approach

“…Canadas et al () present the development of rule‐based applications based on the MDD approach. The approach proposed uses ontology to describe the subject domain.…”

“…The MDD is an approach in software engineering that offers a methodological basis for the development of software through transformations and interpretations of information models. There are already successful examples of its implementation in the case of database applications (e.g., ECO, for Enterprise Core Objects), agent‐oriented monitoring applications (Gascueña, Navarro, Fernández‐Caballero, & Martínez‐Tomás, ), and embedded systems (software components) for the internet and other uses (Canadas, Palma, & Tunez, ; Distante, Pedone, Rossi, & Canfora, ; Dunstan, ; Nofal & Fouad, ).…”

“…No specialized languages are used to implement the model transformations. The main results are the generated program codes for C# .NET Canadas et al (2011). present the development of rule-based applications based on the MDD approach.…”