Simulations and testing options for diagrams

[Steven]

The faster you test and remove errors from a design the better it is for your project. Would it be possible that I can simulate a situation in a diagram? Therefor I can test if the diagram is working correctly. The data can come from a database (so you can test your database design as well).

Diagrams could be:
- activity diagrams
- state machine diagrams
- communication diagrams

An animation option for a diagram would be great if it can be used for instance in a demonstration to a customer.

Main question: is there or will there be an option to perform manual or automated testing on certain diagrams?

[Kevin G. Watson]

Hi'ya..... been wanting this kinda view for ages [smiley=cry.gif] ... a couple of modelling apps ( all now in the IBM camp, so destined for Java only ) did state chart animation.

You can get Squence diagrams from executing code, but these are not co-related to any you might have in your model... so youre rather reduced to doing it manually.  I vaguely remember an addin that coverted between Sequence and Colaboration (Communication Summary v2'ishie) diagrams, but seems to have died.

I think the Realtime MDG thingie, is going to include code-generation for state charts... so we might except some 'animation' of statecharts.  But even tho the 'questions on reporting' is down a lot, thats more due to Sparx addressing requests than users moving away from the printed static presentation of model content.

Activity diagrams are usually pitched a bit above operation flowcharting, so there is unlikely to be an automated method of animating Activity diagrams anytime soon.  Even if you could provided an activity profile for your choice of 'Implementation Language (C# for example).

I would very much like to know how you envisioned using this kind of facility...  I don't know enough about the EA addin interface or code templates, but I would have thought some kind of signalling from runtime to EA would do some of what we wanted to do.

If we was really ambitious we'd be asking for UML .Net Compiler and not bother with other surface languages ( we is Analysts and Designers not mere programming tapers ) Perhaps.

Kevin [smiley=2vrolijk_08.gif]

[Kevin G. Watson]

And then you look at the model provided with the EA Automation interface and you realize,  they is really database designiers and nothing moves much.

You really would expect a mdg action profile, so ya could use EA.

"Sorry." [smiley=2vrolijk_08.gif]

Kevin

[Luis J. Lobo]

Enterprise Analyst is an EA plugin oriented to "execute" class diagrams.

http://www.enterpriseanalyst.net/index_us.php

[Steven]

TY Lobo - That could work for the class diagrams. But what I am really looking for is something to test a state or activity diagram. Good example would be the diagram of the Vending-machine.

It should be possible to test the design of a software project. At the moment the testing starts the moment the first part of the application is released. What I am looking for is a way to start testing as soon as possible in the design phase and how EA can help me test certain UML diagrams.

[Kevin G. Watson]

You seem to be talking about a Runtime Simulator.

If you restrict it to some known thing like .Net Framework;  then you have Application Domains.

You enter the domain via a static class instance method called Main; optionally it can return void or an integer and be passed a string collection containing the command arguements.

Main is an activity diagram; you create instances; you receive events; you make decisions; you send a message; perhaps you sleep perhaps you don't; you die and throw an exception.

UML doesn't really define a start point, thats way to platform specific.

In Quadrant, wouldn't you just import your model... apply some smarts to give it state instance capablity and then export to EA.  Little bit like a WPF timeline animation.