Publication Type

Conference Proceeding Article

Version

submittedVersion

Publication Date

11-2009

Abstract

Scalability over long traces, as well as comprehensibility and expressivity of results, are major challenges for dynamic analysis approaches to specification mining. In this work we present a novel use of object hierarchies over traces of inter-object method calls, as an abstraction/refinement mechanism that enables user-guided, top-down or bottom-up mining of layered scenario-based specifications, broken down by hierarchies embedded in the system under investigation. We do this using data mining methods that provide statistically significant sound and complete results modulo user-defined thresholds, in the context of Damm and Harel’s live sequence charts (LSC); a visual, modal, scenario-based, inter-object language. Thus, scalability, comprehensibility, and expressivity are all addressed. Our technical contribution includes a formal definition of hierarchical inter-object traces, and algorithms for ‘zoomingout’ and ‘zooming-in’, used to move between abstraction levels on the mined specifications. An evaluation of our approach based on several case studies shows promising results.

Discipline

Software Engineering

Research Areas

Software Systems

Publication

IEEE/ACM International Conference on Automated Software Engineering (ASE)

ISBN

9780769538914

Identifier

10.1109/ASE.2009.19

Publisher

IEEE

City or Country

Auckland, New Zealand

Additional URL

http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/ASE.2009.19

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