Heuristics on the Definition of UML Refinement Patterns

In this article we present a strategy to formalize frequently occurring forms of refinement that take place in UML model construction. Such strategy consists in recognizing a set of well founded refinement structures in a formal language which are then immersed into a UML-based development, giving origin to a set of UML refinement patterns. Apart from providing semi-formal evidence on the presence of refinement structures in object-oriented designs, this strategy made it possible to reveal hidden refinements and to discover weaknesses of the UML language that hinder the specification of refinement. An automatic tool is provided to support model refinement activities.

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