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Beyond Code: An Introduction to Model-Driven Software Development (CISC 844, Winter 2023)

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Teaching staff
Instructor: Juergen Dingel, Goodwin Hall 723, office hours: tba

Time and place
The course will be held in person. Class times are

Location is Jeffery Hall, Room 115 (Mondays) and Ontario Hall, Room 209 (Thursdays) Goodwin 521 for Mondays and Thursdays. First meeting is Monday, January 9, 2023.

Audience
This course is suitable for students with an interest in the theory and practise of software development in general and the use of models in software development in particular.

General description
Models are pervasive in engineering. The impact of models on the practise of software engineering, however, has been relatively limited and pales in comparison to the pivotal roles models play in other engineering disciplines. The idea of making models a more prominent artifact in everyday software development has been enjoying increasing support in academia and industry and many approaches, tools and standards have been proposed. Indeed, in some industries (e.g., automotive) development already revolves around the use of models.

Model-driven software development (MDSD) uses high-level, possibly graphical and domain-specific notations in an attempt to capture relevant artifacts on the most appropriate level of abstraction, facilitate the reliable expression and transfer of design intent, and increase the degree of automation. The course presents key ideas and potential benefits and challenges of software modeling in general and of MDSD in particular. Specific attention will be paid to the use of MDSD for event-based, reactive systems. At the end of the course, students will be familiar with the state of the art in software modeling and have gained some critical understanding of the theory and practice involving the use of models for software development.

Learning outcomes
The goal of the course is to introduce students to the state of the art in software modeling and allow them to gain some critical understanding of the theory and practice involving the use of models for software development.

More specifically, at the end of the course, students will be able to

Format
The course will combine lectures, assigned readings, assignments, and a project. The course will cover the topics described on the Content page. The assigned readings will be drawn from a variety of sources and reinforce the lecture material. The projects will serve to, e.g., provide hands-on experience with a specific tool or technology.

Marking scheme
A student's overall mark will be computed as follows:

For more on projects and how they will be evaluated go to the Projects page.

Prerequisites
Good knowledge of object-oriented programming (preferably in Java or C++).

Material

Last modified: Thu Dec 15 15:46:33 EST 2022