Meta-Modeling Semantics of UML

TL;DR

This paper proposes a formalization strategy to precisely define UML semantics by strengthening its denotational semantics, exemplified through the generalization/specialization constructs, to enable formal analysis and development.

Contribution

It introduces a formalization approach that enhances UML's semantics, providing a foundation for formal analysis tools and techniques.

Findings

Formal semantics of UML are made more precise.

The approach is illustrated with generalization/specialization.

Enables development of formal analysis techniques for UML.

Abstract

The Unified Modelling Language is emerging as a de-facto standard for modelling object-oriented systems. However, the semantics document that a part of the standard definition primarily provides a description of the language's syntax and well-formedness rules. The meaning of the language, which is mainly described in English, is too informal and unstructured to provide a foundation for developing formal analysis and development techniques. This paper outlines a formalisation strategy for making precise the core semantics of UML. This is achieved by strengthening the denotational semantics of the existing UML metamodel. To illustrate the approach, the semantics of generalization/specialization are made precise.