WORKSHOPS

WORKSHOP ON VISUAL FORMALISMS FOR PATTERNS

Patterns are increasingly used in the definition of software frameworks, as well as in Model Driven Development, to indicate parts of required architectures, drive code refactoring, or build model-to-model transformations. The full realisation of their power is however hindered by the lack of a standard formalization of the notion of pattern. The availability of formalisms will make common practices involving patterns, such as pattern discovery, pattern enforcement, pattern-based refactoring, etc., simpler and amenable to automation, and open new perspectives for pattern composition and analysis of pattern consequences. The workshop will bring together researchers interested in the definition, usage and analysis of patterns through visual formalisms, which couple the simplicity of traditional methods for pattern expression with solid foundations for pattern-based activities in any modeling or design field.

Full-day workshop on September 21, 2010

Organizers:
Paolo Bottoni, Sapienza - University of Rome, Italy
Esther Guerra, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Spain
Juan de Lara, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain

Workshop website: http://arantxa.ii.uam.es/~jlara/VforP10.htm

WORKSHOP OF THE EUSES CONSORTIUM ANNUAL MEETING

The EUSES Consortium is a collaborative association of seven universities and IBM whose goal is to investigate and develop methods and tools for enabling End Users to Shape Effective Software. End users create software whenever they produce, for instance, spreadsheets, games, simulations, or interactive web pages.

In 2010, EUSES members will meet after VL/HCC to discuss and extend our ongoing collaborations aimed at enabling users to more effectively customize, tailor, extend, and create software. Normally, only EUSES members attend this annual meeting. However, if you are interested in joining our meeting, then please contact the EUSES director, Christopher Scaffidi (cscaffid@eecs.oregonstate.edu) to discuss.

Full-day workshop on September 25, 2010

Organizers:
Christopher Scaffidi, Oregon State University (meeting's chief contact person)
Margaret Burnett, Oregon State University
Sebastian Elbaum, University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Andrew Ko, University of Washington
Brad Myers, Carnegie Mellon University
Maggie Niess, Oregon State University
Mary Beth Rosson, Pennsylvania State University
Susan Wiedenbeck, Drexel University

SCENARIO-BASED PROGRAMMING AND THE VISUAL LANGUAGE OF LIVE SEQUENCE CHARTS

Scenario-based programming is a novel paradigm for the description and execution of systems. It uses autonomous modal specifications of “pieces of behavior” to tell the system under development what it can do, must do or may not do, all under appropriate conditions.  The primary example of a medium for scenario-based programming is the visual language of live sequence charts (LSC), which extends classical sequence diagrams (the classical message sequence charts) with modalities, and which introduces new and intriguing ways for generating and executing system behavior.
The main characteristics of scenario based programming include a natural means for incremental development, by the addition of autonomous scenarios, and encoding of requirements and use cases in ways that reflect the manner in which people typically think about system behavior.
Hands-on guided exercises with the Play-Engine – the tool supporting the approach − will introduce the semantics and syntax of LSC, and will allow tutorial participants to get a feel for the user/developer experience in building scenario based systems.

Half day tutorial on September 25, 2010

Organizers:
David Harel, Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel
Assaf Marron, Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel
Michal Gordon, Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel
Shahar Maoz, RWTH-Aachen University, Germany

Tutorial Website: http://www.wisdom.weizmann.ac.il/~michalk/VLHCC2010

MODEL DRIVEN ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGIES APPLIED TO VISUAL LANGUAGES AND HUMAN- CENTRIC COMPUTING

Model Driven Engineering (MDE) brings together multiple technologies and critical innovations and formalizes them into the next wave of software development methods. This tutorial will cover the basic and advanced patterns, principles, and practices of MDE. The three main MDE categories include the development of Domain Specific Languages (DSL), Domain Specific Editors (including and particularly Domain Specific Visual Languages) and, Domain Specific Transformation Engines or Generators. Expressed in terms of language development technology, these mirror the development of the Abstract Syntax, Concrete Syntax and Semantics of a new Domain Specific Language. This tutorial will cover the effective patterns, principles and practices for developing these MDE software artifacts. The tutorial will show how to apply these concepts as effective means with which to both raise levels of abstraction and domain specificity and thus increase the power and value of tools and languages that allow developers to tackle the complexities of today’s software systems. It will also show how to effectively leverage abstraction without sacrificing the ability to robustly and precisely refine these abstractions to solve real world problems. It will cover ways to create powerful visual languages in both 2 dimensional and 3 dimensional space. These visual languages are targeted at the specific demands from the humans using the software. Additionally, this tutorial will cover the exact details of how to leverage an industrial strength, commercial quality Language Workbench to support the development of these Human-Centric Domain Specific Visual Languages. The frameworks that make up the Language Workbench provide a unique and integrated platform in which to learn the basics of Model Driven Engineering in full application not just in theory. Conversely, Model Driven Engineering provides an effective context in which to learn how to apply the power of these integrated Language Workbench frameworks to develop Human Centric Domain Specific Visual Languages.

Half day tutorial on September 25, 2010

Organizers:
Bruce Trask (bruce.trask@mdesystems.com)
Angel Roman (angel.roman@mdesystems.com)