Is there such a thing anymore as a software system that doesn't need to be secure? Almost every softwarecontrolled system faces threats from potential adversaries, from Internet-aware client applications running on PCs, to complex telecommunications and power systems accessible over the Internet, to commodity software with copy protection mechanisms. Software engineers must be cognizant of these threats and engineer systems with credible defenses, while still delivering value to customers. In this paper, we present our perspectives on the research issues that arise in the interactions between software engineering and security.

Spreadsheets are widely used in all kinds of business applications. Numerous studies have shown that they contain many errors that sometimes have dramatic impacts. One reason for this situation is the low-level, cell-oriented development process of spreadsheets. We improve this process by introducing and formalizing a higher-level object-oriented model termed ClassSheet. While still following the tabular look-and-feel of spreadsheets, ClassSheets allow the developer to express explicitly business object structures within a spreadsheet, which is achieved by integrating concepts from the UML (Unified Modeling Language). A stepwise automatic transformation process generates a spreadsheet application that is consistent with the ClassSheet model. Thus, by deploying the formal underpinning of ClassSheets, a large variety of errors can be prevented that occur in many existing spreadsheet applications today. The presented ClassSheet approach links spreadsheet applications to the object-oriented modeling world and advocates an automatic model-driven development process for spreadsheet applications of high quality.

Paradigm is the modeling language of SOCCA regarding communication, coordination and cooperation. A transition system or STD-based operational semantics for Paradigm is proposed and illustrated with basic producer-consumer examples. The proposed semantics for Paradigm, in contrast to other approaches, provides a sound basis for reasoning about system dynamics and system comparison.

Modeling embedded real-time systems consisting of different components with UML-RT leads to a design model using various diagrams. Sequence diagrams describe possible interactions between system components and may be annotated with specific real-time constraints. Statechart diagrams are used for describing each component's behavior. In order to be able to get a consistent model, a consistency concept for different diagram types is needed that takes into account real-time constraints. In this paper, a consistency concept for sequence diagrams and statechart diagrams is presented which focuses on the establishment of timing constraints. Our consistency concept distinguishes between syntactical, semantic and real-time consistency and takes into account the influence of processor allocation and scheduling. Using the consistency concept we describe a method for ensuring the consistency based on worst case execution time analysis of statecharts and schedulability analysis of tasks, thereby enabling a precise answer of the question of consistency.

Constructing complex software systems by integrating different software components is a promising and challenging approach. With the functionality of software components given by models it is possible to ensure consistency of such models before implementation in order to successfully build the system. Models consisting of different submodels, the absence of an overall formal semantics and the numerous possibilities of employing models requires the development of techniques ensuring the consistency. In this paper, we discuss the issue of consistency of models made up of different submodels proposing a concept for the management of consistency. Consistency management relies on a concept of consistency and a process for ensuring consistency of models. We introduce a consistency concept for software components modeled in the Unified Modeling Language (UML) and devise suitable consistency checks. On this basis, we propose a process how to locate and resolve inconsistencies, thus ensuring the consistency of models and by that the consistency of componentbased systems derived from those models.

To be successful, any engineering product should accomplish the needs and expectations of its potential stakeholders. Similarly, design models should be defined taking into account goals and requirements of their users, i.e. the practitioners who daily conceive, develop and deploy applications. Neglecting stakeholders ’ needs can bring to lack of attention towards these engineering products (design models) while fitness to requirements can drastically increase their acceptability in the real world. This paper focuses on the domain of Communication and Interaction Intensive applications (C&II applications) by presenting a suite of two conceptual models (namely IDM and E-WOOD) belonging to a more comprehensive methodological framework addressing the analysis and design of such a kind of applications. The focus of the paper is not on the presentation of the methods but on highlighting their fitness to the requirements of the potential adopters of such methods. To this end, the overall framework has been defined on the basis of an accurate analysis of potential stakeholders ’ goals and requirements gained from our training experience to professional designers and from adoption of our previous conceptual methods in several real-life projects.

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Abstract—Object-oriented modeling has become the de-facto standard in the software development process during the last decades. A great deal of research in this area focuses on proposing modeling languages. In order to properly understand, and assess an object oriented modeling language, we believe that a set of criteria or requirements is needed. This Paper presents a framework to investigate and compare graphical object oriented modeling languages. This framework is based on a requirement set for an ideal object-oriented modeling languages. Index Terms—Object-Oriented modeling languages, comparison framework, requirement set, UML I.

In this work we present the results of a study that has aimed at identifying the requirements for Web design methods that may influence the industrial acceptability, that is, the characteristics that prevent, or contribute to, the adoption of design methods in a business environment. The empirical study involved (by way of focus groups and surveys), over 100 potential users of Web design methods including project managers, analysts, information architects, visual designers, implementers, recruited from companies and non academic institutions intensively involved in the development of Web based applications. Our study has gathered qualitative and quantitative information that highlight expectations and needs of stakeholders of Web design methods. It has highlighted that usability, modularity, scalability, customizability, support to fast prototyping and incremental development, support to design-related activities (training, project management, design documentation delivery) are critical requirements for a design method to be adopted in the industrial practice. To define our study, we have adopted a holistic perspective. We have investigated requirements looking at design methods as to engineering products that should work within the overall development process in which design occurs, and within the organizational context in which this process takes place.

Changing perceptions of CASE-technology The level to which CASE technology has been successfully deployed in IS and software development organisations has been at best variable. Much has been written about an apparent mismatch between user expectations of the technology and the products which are developed for the growing marketplace. In this paper we explore how this tension has developed over time, with the aim of identifying and characterising the major factors contributing to it. We identify three primary themes: volatility and plurality in the marketplace; the close relationship between tools and development methods; and the context-sensitivity of feature assessment. By exploring the tension and developing these themes we hope to further the debate on how to improve evaluation of CASE prior to adoption. Keywords: CASE technology, literature review, software development, evolution of CASE