Behaviour model elaboration using partial labelled transition systems

State machine based formalisms such as labelled transition systems (LTS) are generally assumed to be complete descriptions m behaviour at some level of abstraction: if a labelled transition system cannot exhibit a certain sequence of actions, it is assumed that the system or component it models cannot or should not exhibit that sequence. This assumption is a valid one at the end of the modelling effort when reasoning about properties of the completed model. However, it is not a valid assumption when behaviour models are in the process of being developed. In this setting, the distinction between proscribed behaviour and behaviour that has not yet been defined is an important one. Knowing where the gaps are in a behaviour model permits the presentation of meaningful questions to stakeholders, which in turn can lead to model exploration and thus more comprehensive descriptions of the system behaviour. In this paper we propose using partial labelled transition systems (PLTS) to capture wh...

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2003
• Where: SIGSOFT
• Authors: Sebastián Uchitel, Jeff Kramer, Jeff Magee
• Keywords: Behaviour Models, Labelled Transition Systems, Partial Labelled Transition, SIGSOFT 2003, Software Engineering