Formal Verification Techniques for Model Transformations: A Tridimensional Classification .

Abstract

In Model Driven Engineering (Mde), models are first-class citizens, and model transformation is Mde's "heart and soul". Since model transformations are executed for a family of (conforming) models, their validity becomes a crucial issue.This paper proposes to explore the question of the formal verification of model transformation properties through a tridimensional approach: the transformation involved, the properties of interest addressed, and the formal verification techniques used to establish the properties.This work is intended for a double audience. For newcomers, it provides a tutorial introduction to the field of formal verification of model transformations. For readers more familiar with formal methods and model transformations, it proposes a literature review (although not systematic) of the contributions of the field.Overall, this work allows to better understand the evolution, trends and current practice in the domain of model transformation verification. This work opens an interesting research line for building an engineering of model transformation verification guided by the notion of model transformation intent.

A UML 2.0 Activity Diagrams/CSP Integrated Approach for Modeling and Verification of Software Systems

“…In [12], the authors used the negative application conditions (NACs) to show the completeness and correctness of model transformations based on triple graph grammars [27]. In [5], the authors presented a good classification of a formal verification of model transformation properties through a tridimensional approach: the transformation itself, the properties to be preserved, and the formal verification techniques to be used to verify the properties. They defined the transformation E a r l y b i r d correctness as a variety of properties such as semantic correctness, syntax correctness, termination, and confluence.…”

Correctness of an ATL Model Transformation from SysML State Machine Diagrams to Promela

“…For a more comprehensive study on formal verification techniques for model transformations we refer to the survey in (Amrani et al, 2015), for instance.…”

Featured model types

“…This can be the case for ensuring that every transformation of the newly build Mt works as intended by their specifications. Depending of the model transformation nature (model-to-model, model-to-text) verification [3] and testing techniques [14] may also be applied for an individual Mt product.…”