Issue 14544: Stereotyped Constraints in UML (uml2-rtf) Source: Alion Science and Technology (Mr. Jim Logan, jllogan+omg(at)gmail.com) Nature: Uncategorized Issue Severity: Summary: The UML 2.2 spec (ptc/2008-05-05) does not allow showing only a constraint name in braces. I have found this non-standard feature very valuable when working with business users and would like to see it allowed. The most flexible way to use constraints is to have a short, informal English description as the name, and real OCL as the formal expression. Having the flexibility to show either the name or the expression gives the best of two worlds: business SMEs can read and validate the informal English name while tools can use the OCL expression to actually enforce the constraints. In addition, a diagram can present a view for business SMEs or a view for technical people. I recommend changing the notation from this: <constraint> ::= '{' [ <name> ':' ] <Boolean-expression> '}' to this: <constraint> ::= '{' [ <name> ] ':' <Boolean-expression> | <name> '}' This change would allow: the author to choose to show: only { : expression } for technical users (a common practice) only { name } for non-technical users (a currently disallowed but important practice) both { name : body } the viewer to tell the difference between the name and the expression when only one is shown consistency with the way several other things work in UML, such as: action names action pin names instance specification names (i.e., just shows the name when there's no type) attributes (i.e., one can suppress the ": Type") Resolution: Revised Text: Actions taken: October 8, 2009: received issue Discussion: End of Annotations:===== -Score: 0.00 X-Authority-Analysis: v=1.0 c=1 a=IrhQ66Lcw_L_VapW97QA:9 a=shI61sN1xCTgGKDe49IA:7 a=AL0Pt_JP7G9lL6Yo9puBu-l9ah0A:4 a=nTM9S7NWShjDMrW-CW4A:9 a=QW2RIrMyP9pf-8KuliAA:7 a=7X1JhEl26ufRWrwVDC0NlQuPG5kA:4 X-CM-Score: 0.00 Date: Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:21:46 -0400 From: Jim Logan User-Agent: Thunderbird 2.0.0.23 (Windows/20090812) To: issues@omg.org Subject: Stereotyped Constraints in UML X-Stationery: 0.4.10 The UML 2.2 spec (ptc/2008-05-05) does not allow showing only a constraint name in braces. I have found this non-standard feature very valuable when working with business users and would like to see it allowed. The most flexible way to use constraints is to have a short, informal English description as the name, and real OCL as the formal expression. Having the flexibility to show either the name or the expression gives the best of two worlds: business SMEs can read and validate the informal English name while tools can use the OCL expression to actually enforce the constraints. In addition, a diagram can present a view for business SMEs or a view for technical people. I recommend changing the notation from this: ::= '{' [ ':' ] '}' to this: ::= '{' [ ] ':' | '}' This change would allow: the author to choose to show: only { : expression } for technical users (a common practice) only { name } for non-technical users (a currently disallowed but important practice) both { name : body } the viewer to tell the difference between the name and the expression when only one is shown consistency with the way several other things work in UML, such as: action names action pin names instance specification names (i.e., just shows the name when there's no type) attributes (i.e., one can suppress the ": Type") -Jim Subject: RE: issue 14544 -- UML 2 RTF issue Date: Tue, 20 Oct 2009 12:15:18 +0100 X-MS-Has-Attach: X-MS-TNEF-Correlator: Thread-Topic: issue 14544 -- UML 2 RTF issue Thread-Index: AcpIReh7L4Yi9fwEQKCywj0H5J/BYwJKKa7g From: "Hains, Ralph" To: "Juergen Boldt" , , Hi, I can.t see how the replacement expression does what is described (but my experience of BNF is limit so feel free to correct). How about not trying to optimize and doing: ::= '{' || '}' ::= .:. .:. Cheers, Ralph From: Juergen Boldt [mailto:juergen@omg.org] Sent: 08 October 2009 19:34 To: issues@omg.org; uml2-rtf@omg.org Subject: issue 14544 -- UML 2 RTF issue X-VR-Score: 0.00 X-Authority-Analysis: v=1.0 c=1 a=IrhQ66Lcw_L_VapW97QA:9 a=shI61sN1xCTgGKDe49IA:7 a=AL0Pt_JP7G9lL6Yo9puBu-l9ah0A:4 a=nTM9S7NWShjDMrW-CW4A:9 a=QW2RIrMyP9pf-8KuliAA:7 a=7X1JhEl26ufRWrwVDC0NlQuPG5kA:4 X-CM-Score: 0.00 Date: Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:21:46 -0400 From: Jim Logan User-Agent: Thunderbird 2.0.0.23 (Windows/20090812) To: issues@omg.org Subject: Stereotyped Constraints in UML X-Stationery: 0.4.10 The UML 2.2 spec (ptc/2008-05-05) does not allow showing only a constraint name in braces. I have found this non-standard feature very valuable when working with business users and would like to see it allowed. The most flexible way to use constraints is to have a short, informal English description as the name, and real OCL as the formal expression. Having the flexibility to show either the name or the expression gives the best of two worlds: business SMEs can read and validate the informal English name while tools can use the OCL expression to actually enforce the constraints. In addition, a diagram can present a view for business SMEs or a view for technical people. I recommend changing the notation from this: ::= '{' [ ':' ] '}' to this: ::= '{' [ ] ':' | '}' This change would allow: the author to choose to show: only { : expression } for technical users (a common practice) only { name } for non-technical users (a currently disallowed but important practice) both { name : body } the viewer to tell the difference between the name and the expression when only one is shown consistency with the way several other things work in UML, such as: action names action pin names instance specification names (i.e., just shows the name when there's no type) attributes (i.e., one can suppress the ": Type") -Jim Juergen Boldt Director, Member Services Object Management Group 140 Kendrick St Building A Suite 300 Needham, MA 02494 USA tel: +1 781 444 0404 x 132 fax: +1 781 444 0320 email: juergen@omg.org www.omg.org Subject: RE: issue 14544 -- UML 2 RTF issue Date: Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:35:56 +0100 X-MS-Has-Attach: X-MS-TNEF-Correlator: Thread-Topic: issue 14544 -- UML 2 RTF issue Thread-Index: AcpIReh7L4Yi9fwEQKCywj0H5J/BYwJKKa7gAAsWiHA= From: "Hains, Ralph" To: "Hains, Ralph" , "Juergen Boldt" , , Hi, On reflection the colon is probably wanted with the name rather than with the expression, Ralph From: Hains, Ralph [mailto:ralph.hains@artisansoftwaretools.com] Sent: 20 October 2009 12:15 To: Juergen Boldt; issues@omg.org; uml2-rtf@omg.org Subject: RE: issue 14544 -- UML 2 RTF issue Hi, I can.t see how the replacement expression does what is described (but my experience of BNF is limit so feel free to correct). How about not trying to optimize and doing: ::= '{' || '}' ::= .:. .:. Cheers, Ralph From: Juergen Boldt [mailto:juergen@omg.org] Sent: 08 October 2009 19:34 To: issues@omg.org; uml2-rtf@omg.org Subject: issue 14544 -- UML 2 RTF issue X-VR-Score: 0.00 X-Authority-Analysis: v=1.0 c=1 a=IrhQ66Lcw_L_VapW97QA:9 a=shI61sN1xCTgGKDe49IA:7 a=AL0Pt_JP7G9lL6Yo9puBu-l9ah0A:4 a=nTM9S7NWShjDMrW-CW4A:9 a=QW2RIrMyP9pf-8KuliAA:7 a=7X1JhEl26ufRWrwVDC0NlQuPG5kA:4 X-CM-Score: 0.00 Date: Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:21:46 -0400 From: Jim Logan User-Agent: Thunderbird 2.0.0.23 (Windows/20090812) To: issues@omg.org Subject: Stereotyped Constraints in UML X-Stationery: 0.4.10 The UML 2.2 spec (ptc/2008-05-05) does not allow showing only a constraint name in braces. I have found this non-standard feature very valuable when working with business users and would like to see it allowed. The most flexible way to use constraints is to have a short, informal English description as the name, and real OCL as the formal expression. Having the flexibility to show either the name or the expression gives the best of two worlds: business SMEs can read and validate the informal English name while tools can use the OCL expression to actually enforce the constraints. In addition, a diagram can present a view for business SMEs or a view for technical people. I recommend changing the notation from this: ::= '{' [ ':' ] '}' to this: ::= '{' [ ] ':' | '}' This change would allow: the author to choose to show: only { : expression } for technical users (a common practice) only { name } for non-technical users (a currently disallowed but important practice) both { name : body } the viewer to tell the difference between the name and the expression when only one is shown consistency with the way several other things work in UML, such as: action names action pin names instance specification names (i.e., just shows the name when there's no type) attributes (i.e., one can suppress the ": Type") -Jim Juergen Boldt Director, Member Services Object Management Group 140 Kendrick St Building A Suite 300 Needham, MA 02494 USA tel: +1 781 444 0404 x 132 fax: +1 781 444 0320 email: juergen@omg.org www.omg.org