Specifying Features in Terms of Domain Models: MuDForM Method Definition
and Case Study
Abstract
To enable the people involved in a software development process
to communicate and reason close to their area of knowledge, we are
investigating a method to formalize and integrate knowledge of multiple
domains into domain models and into specifications in terms of those
domain models. For this purpose, we have previously defined a set of
method objectives, and an initial version of the method –called
MuDForM. This paper reports on the methodical support for using a domain
model as terminology to define other specifications, and feature
specifications in particular. We performed a case study to validate how
well the method helps in the specification of processes and to realize
the case-specific objectives of the customer. The case study pertains to
the formalization of the ISO26262 standard for functional safety in the
automotive domain. We found that our method is suitable to
systematically formalize a process that is described in natural
language, such that there is a clear separation of domain-specific
concepts, unambiguous process specifications, and concepts from outside
the domain and process of interest. We have extended our method with
concepts, steps, and guidelines for grammatical analysis, for the
formalization of constraints, and for the specification of processes.
The case-specific results are the unambiguous specification of a part of
the ISO26262 processes.
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