Abstract

Software engineers often use high-level models (for instance, box and arrow sketches) to reason and communicate about an existing software system. One problem with high-level models is that they are almost always inaccurate with respect to the system's source code. We have developed an approach that helps an engineer use a high-level model of the structure of an existing software system as a lens through which to see a model of that system's source code. In particular, an engineer defines a high-level model and specifies how the model maps to the source. A tool then computes a software reflexion model that shows where the engineer's high-level model agrees with and where it differs from a model of the source. The paper provides a formal characterization of reflexion models, discusses practical aspects of the approach, and relates experiences of applying the approach and tools to a number of different systems. The illustrative example used in the paper describes the application of refle...

Citations