Bachelorprojekt - Softwareteknologi
Projekt nr. 0124:  Extending the ePNK (a generic Petri net tool)

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Beskrivelse:

The Petri Net Markup Language (PNML) is an XML based interchange format for all kinds of Petri nets, which is currently standardized as ISO/IEC 15909-2 (and some extensions in ISO/IEC 15909-3). Different kinds of Petri net types can be defined by providing a UML model with the type's specific features.

The ePNK (eclipse-based Petri Net Kernel) is a tool based on eclipse that is fully compliant with ISO/IEC-15909-2 and serves as a test-bed for the defintion of ISO/IEC-15909-3. It provides a generic graphical editor to which new Petri net types can be plugged-in - basically, by providing a UML model of its concepts. The ePNK was developped in a model-based way, using the Eclipse Modeling Framework (EMF), the Graphical Modeling Framework (GMF), and XText and some related technologies.

The current version of the ePNK, however, is still quite simple and many features that would be interesting for tool-developers or end-user are still missing. Some of these features could be implemented in BSc-projects (02125).

Below, there is a list of possible extensions. The exact topic and focus will be defined together with the students, based on their experience and their interests.

Possible extension:

• The ePNK provides a mechanism for functions and applications to visualize their results in a graphical way to the end-user by high-lighting elements of the Petri net in the graphical editor. This mechanism, however, is very simple. In a BSc-project, this mechanism could be extended so that the functions could define how their results are presented by a presentation descriptor; dependent on that descriptor, elements could be high-lighted or annotated with some text or icons. The annotations should also be used for the applications to interact with the end-user, and it should be possible for the application to configure the way it interacts with the end-user.

• Right now functions and applications for Petri nets are plugged in to the ePNK by standard Eclipse extension points (views, wizards, commands, actions, ...). The ePNK itself is not aware of the plugged-in functions and applications. It could greatly improve the user experience of the ePNK, if the ePNK would be aware of the applications that are installed, and could offer the right or relevant applications to the user in a respective view for launching applications - based on the currently active editor. To this end, ePNK applications would need to define their characteristics, and on which kinds on Petri nets they work, so that the application launcher could show the right applications to the end-user - and start them on demand. It should also be possible for the end-users to configure the application launcher to their specific needs, based on the characteristics of the applications and some user scenarios.

In the BSc-projects, the exact needs for these mechanism should be analysed - based on some examples, which exists already; then the mechanism should be designed and implemented.

All projects require some basic knowledge of Eclipse, EMF and model-based software engineering (such as provided in the course 02162, Software Engineering 2) and will help advancing the students' skills in modern software engineering technologies.

Forudsætninger:

02162 Software Engineering 2 (recommended)

Vejleder(e): Ekkart Kindler

Sidst opdateret: Nov 27, 2012 af Hans Henrik Løvengreen