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Specify Constraint for Parameter of a UML Operation [message #1798041]

Sun, 11 November 2018 16:52

Thomas Pusztai

Messages: 27
Registered: September 2018

Junior Member

Hi,

I have a UML model and I would like to specify some constraints using OCL. Specifying invariants for classes works fine, but now I need to define a constraint on the parameter of an operation.

For example, let's suppose I have a class BankAccount with an operation executeTransfer(transfer: TransferDetails). A TransferDetails object contains the amount of money to be transferred and the destination of the transfer. How do I specify, e.g., that transfer.amount cannot be more than the current balance of the BankAccount?

I can create a preCondition for the executeTransfer() operation, but how do I access the attributes of the transfer parameter?

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Re: Specify Constraint for Parameter of a UML Operation [message #1798077 is a reply to message #1798041]

Mon, 12 November 2018 08:55

Ed Willink

Messages: 7655
Registered: July 2009

Senior Member

Hi

I don't see the problem so my answer has to be just do it. If you provided a repro comprising your metamodel and your best attempt at just doing it, I could see where you went wrong / why I don't understand the problem.

(Instinctively I would tend to define an Operation rather than a Parameter constraint; Parameter is getting a bit fine-grained. But UML decided to categorize Operation constraints as pre/post/body-conditions and AFAIAA USE is the only OCL tooling that does more than syntax check Operation conditions. A Parameter constraint might actually be a rather good idea.)

Regards

Ed Willink

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Re: Specify Constraint for Parameter of a UML Operation [message #1798116 is a reply to message #1798077]

Mon, 12 November 2018 19:32

Thomas Pusztai

Messages: 27
Registered: September 2018

Junior Member

Hi Ed,

Thank you for your response. Here is a class diagram of the example I talked about:
index.php/fa/34314/0/

I want to use a precondition for the executeTransfer() operation to make sure that the amount that should be transferred is not greater than the balance of the bank account.

I tried this:

self.transfer.amount >= self.owner.balance

Then I realized that, even though it is a precondition for the executeTransfer operation, the context of the expression seems to be the BankAccount class.

So I tried this:

self.executeTransfer.transfer.amount >= self.balance

This yields the following error message when trying to validate the model:

"Parsing error for Example::BankExample::BankAccount::executeTransfer::preExecuteTransfer::self.executeTransfer.transfer.amount >= self.balance: 
The 'executeTransfer::preExecuteTransfer' constraint is invalid: 'self.executeTransfer.transfer.amount >= self.balance' 1: Unresolved Property 'Example::BankExample::BankAccount::executeTransfer' 1: Unresolved Operation 'OclInvalid::>=(Real)'"

Best regards,
Thomas

Attachment: BankExample.PNG
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Re: Specify Constraint for Parameter of a UML Operation [message #1798117 is a reply to message #1798116]

Mon, 12 November 2018 21:06

Ed Willink

Messages: 7655
Registered: July 2009

Senior Member

Hi

The precondition executes just the same as the operation.

Yes self is the context class. If you want to refer to a parameter, do not prefix it with self, just as in Java you would not use this.argument to access a function argument.

Regards

Ed Willink

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