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The ABS tool suite: modelling, executing and analysing distributed adaptable object-oriented systems

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Abstract

Modern software systems must support a high degree of variability to accommodate a wide range of requirements and operating conditions. This paper introduces the Abstract Behavioural Specification (ABS) language and tool suite, a comprehensive platform for developing and analysing highly adaptable distributed concurrent software systems. The ABS language has a hybrid functional and object- oriented core, and comes with extensions that support the development of systems that are adaptable to diversified requirements, yet capable to maintain a high level of trustworthiness. Using ABS, system variability is consistently traceable from the level of requirements engineering down to object behaviour. This facilitates temporal evolution, as changes to the required set of features of a system are automatically reflected by functional adaptation of the system’s behaviour. The analysis capabilities of ABS stretch from debugging, observing and simulating to resource analysis of ABS models and help ensure that a system will remain dependable throughout its evolutionary lifetime. We report on the experience of using the ABS language and the ABS tool suite in an industrial case study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Fredhopper B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Peter Y. H. Wong

  2. Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain

    Elvira Albert

  3. Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium

    Radu Muschevici & José Proença

  4. University of Kaiserslautern, Kaiserslautern, Germany

    Jan Schäfer

  5. University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway

    Rudolf Schlatte

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  1. Peter Y. H. Wong
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  2. Elvira Albert
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  3. Radu Muschevici
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  4. José Proença
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  5. Jan Schäfer
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  6. Rudolf Schlatte
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Correspondence to Peter Y. H. Wong.

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Wong, P.Y.H., Albert, E., Muschevici, R. et al. The ABS tool suite: modelling, executing and analysing distributed adaptable object-oriented systems. Int J Softw Tools Technol Transfer 14, 567–588 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10009-012-0250-1

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