Thinging as a Way of Modeling in Poiesis: Applications in Software Engineering

TL;DR

This paper explores the use of the thinging machine (TM), a diagrammatic modeling language, as a novel approach to software engineering design within the broader context of poiesis, emphasizing creation and production.

Contribution

It introduces TM as a systematic, theory-backed modeling language for software design, contrasting it with UML and demonstrating its applicability through a case study.

Findings

TM provides an alternative to UML in software design.

TM models show promising integration capabilities.

Case study validates TM's viability in design processes.

Abstract

From a software design perspective, a clear definition of design can enhance project success and development productivity. Even though the focus is on software engineering, in this paper, we view the notion of design from the wider point of view of poiesis, the field of the study of the phenomena of creation and production of the artifacts. In poiesis, design operates through the medium of modeling. According to several sources, there is as yet no systematic consolidated body of knowledge that a practitioner can refer to when designing a computer-based modeling language. Modeling languages such as UML are practice-based and seldom underpinned with a solid theory-be it mathematical, ontological or concomitant with language use. In this paper, we propose adopting a recent addition to the diagrammatic languages, the thinging machine (abbreviated TM), as a design language in the general area of Poiesis and we exemplify TM by applying it to software engineering design. We show intermediate steps of design that led to producing a TM model for a case study. The case study is taken from a source where a full UML-based design was given. Contrasting the models produced by the two methodologies points to the viability of TM as an integrating and unifying modeling language in the design field.