How to Fix Inconsistencies in Design Models

建议的工作旨在调查如何修复UML设计模型中的不一致性，以及如何处理这些修复的不希望的副作用。这是一个复杂的问题，因为不是每个更改都会导致不一致，不是每个不一致都是不希望的，也不是每个不希望的不一致都可以在不引起新的不一致的情况下修复。到目前为止，研究团体集中于帮助定位软件设计模型中的不一致性。然而，工程师最终必须解决不一致的问题，并且本建议的工作将开发一种原则性的方法来修复这种不一致。我们的目标不仅是确定修复不一致的选择，而且还要了解它们的不良副作用。这种连锁效应在其他领域（如编程语言、数据库）中众所周知并得到了研究。伦敦大学学院教授。Anthony Finkelstein、Wolfgang Emmerich和最近的Emmanuel Letier博士一直处于这类研究的前沿，并且提议的工作将通过支持访问学者Alexander Egyed博士来进一步推进这一研究，Alexander Egyed博士最近贡献了一种不同的、非常有前途的方法来处理UML设计模型中的不一致性。拟议的工作将结合我们的研究贡献和利用我们联合的工业联系来验证这项工作。Egyed博士在伦敦大学学院的明确目标是为“与矛盾共存”建立一个坚实的、有原则的基础，这将创造长期的学术和工业利益。当然，这种合作也将导致联合出版。

The proposed work aims at investigating how to fix inconsistencies in UML design models and how to handle undesired side effects of such fixes. This is a complex problem because not every change causes inconsistencies, not every inconsistency is undesirable, and not every undesirable inconsistency is fixable without causing new inconsistencies.To date, the research community focused on helping locate inconsistencies in software design models. However, the engineer eventually has to resolve inconsistencies and this proposed work will develop a principled approach for fixing such inconsistencies. Our goal is not only to identify choices for fixing inconsistencies but also to understand their undesirable side effects. This ripple effect is well-known and researched in other domains (i.e., programming languages, databases). UCL (Profs. Anthony Finkelstein, Wolfgang Emmerich and more recently Dr. Emmanuel Letier) has been at the forefront of this kind of research and the proposed work will further this by supporting a visiting academic, Dr. Alexander Egyed, who has recently contributed a different and very promising approach to handling inconsistencies in UML design models. The proposed work will combine our research contributions and leverage from our combined industrial connections in validating this work. It is an explicit goal of Dr. Egyed's stay at UCL to build a solid, principled foundation for 'living with inconsistencies' that will create longterm academic and industrial interest. Of course, this collaboration will also lead to joint publications.