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Software Engineering Research, Management and Applications pp 129–149Cite as

Improving Code Generation for Associations: Enforcing Multiplicity Constraints and Ensuring Referential Integrity

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Part of the Studies in Computational Intelligence book series (SCI,volume 496)

Abstract

UML classes involve three key elements: attributes, associations, and methods. Current object-oriented languages, like Java, do not provide a distinction between attributes and associations. Tools that generate code from associations currently provide little support for the rich semantics available to modellers such as enforcing multiplicity constraints or maintaining referential integrity. In this paper, we introduce a syntax for describing associations using a model-oriented language called Umple. We show source code from existing code-generation tools and highlight how the issues above are not adequately addressed. We outline code generation patterns currently available in Umple that resolve these difficulties and address the issues of multiplicity constraints and referential integrity.

Keywords

  • Associations
  • Model Driven Development
  • UML
  • Code Generation
  • Umple
  • Reverse Engineering

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada, K1N 6N5

    Omar Badreddin, Andrew Forward & Timothy C. Lethbridge

Authors
  1. Omar Badreddin
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  2. Andrew Forward
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  3. Timothy C. Lethbridge
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Omar Badreddin .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Software Engineering & Information, Central Michigan University, Mt. Pleasant, 48859, Michigan, USA

    Roger Lee

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Badreddin, O., Forward, A., Lethbridge, T.C. (2014). Improving Code Generation for Associations: Enforcing Multiplicity Constraints and Ensuring Referential Integrity. In: Lee, R. (eds) Software Engineering Research, Management and Applications. Studies in Computational Intelligence, vol 496. Springer, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-00948-3_9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-00948-3_9

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-00947-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-00948-3

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