Traceability in a modeling environment

• US 8,627,276 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2011
• Issued: 01/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The MathWorks, Inc.
• Original Assignee: The MathWorks, Inc.
• Inventors: Lin, Xiaocang, Pillarisetti, Aravind, Tuschner, Kai, Aldrich, William J
• Primary Examiner(s): Das, Chameli
• Application Number:
  US13/335,546
• Publication Number:
  US 20120096430A1
• Time in Patent Office: 747 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 717/107
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3664 Environments for testing or debugging software
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3688 for test execution, e.g. scheduling of test suites
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3696 Methods or tools to render software testable
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/137 Hierarchical processing, e.g. outlines
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/151 Transformation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/10 Requirements analysis; Specification techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/34 Graphical or visual programming
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/35 model driven
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/355 Round-trip engineering
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/73 Program documentation

Abstract

Exemplary embodiments employ a mapping among entities that are related to each other. The entities may include a graphical model, generated code, a generated report, a requirements document and/or an intermediate representation. The mapping may facilitate graphical identifications between parts of one entity that maps to part of another entity. The graphical identification may occur based on a selection of a part in one of the entities.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

identifying a plurality of entities having relationships there between,

the identifying being performed by a processor;

accessing a first entity from the plurality of entities,

the accessing the first entity being performed by the processor;

accessing a second entity from the plurality of entities,

the accessing the second entity being performed by the processor;

mapping the first entity to the second entity,

mapping the first entity to the second entity including bi-directionally mapping the first entity the second entity, and

the mapping being performed by the processor;

determining, based on the mapping, if a graphical affordance, associated with at least one of an intermediate representation of a graphical model or code associated with the graphical model, is selected,

the determining being performed by the processor; and

selectively identifying, based on the determining, one or more portions of the graphical model or one or more portions of the at least one of the intermediate representation of the graphical model or the code associated with the graphical model,

when identifying the one or more portions of the graphical model, the method includes;

receiving information associated with browsing the at least one of the intermediate representation of the graphical model or the code associated with the graphical model; and

identifying the one or more portions of the graphical model based on the received information associated with browsing the at least one of the intermediate representation of the graphical model or the code associated with the graphical model,

when identifying the one or more portions of the at least one of the intermediate representation of the graphical model or the code associated with the graphical model, the method includes;

receiving information associated with selecting the graphical affordance of the graphical model; and

identifying the one or more portions of the at least one of the intermediate representation of the graphical model or the code associated with the graphical model based on the received information associated with selecting the graphical affordance of the graphical model, and

the selectively identifying being performed by the processor.

2. The method of claim 1, where a first part of the first entity includes a portion of the graphical model and a second part of the second entity includes a segment of the code.

3. The method of claim 2, where the method further comprises:

creating a deployable representation that facilitates code inspection in a first environment that is independent of a second environment used to develop the graphical model.

4. The method of claim 3, where the deployable representation comprises a web deployable format.

5. The method of claim 2, where the method further comprises:

searching the graphical model for the portion; and

graphically relating the segment with the portion.

6. The method of claim 5, where the method further comprises:

replacing the portion with another portion; and

updating the segment to reflect replacing the portion with the other portion.

7. The method of claim 2, where the method further comprises:

updating an inferred property of the portion; and

implementing the inferred property as a specified property related to the portion.

8. The method of claim 7, where the method further comprises:

indicating that the specified property cannot be modified; and

preventing the specified property from being modified.

9. The method of claim 2, where the method further comprises:

searching the code for the segment; and

graphically relating the segment with the portion.

10. The method of claim 9, where the method further comprises:

replacing the segment with another segment; and

updating the portion to reflect replacing the segment with another segment.

11. The method of claim 2, where the portion represents an interface for an element and the segment represents at least part of a function related to the interface.

12. The method of claim 2, where the portion of the graphical model represents a user specified element.

13. The method of claim 1, where, when mapping the first entity to the second entity, the method includes:

generating tracing information that associates a first part of the first entity with a second part of the second entity.

14. The method of claim 13, where the method further comprises:

generating an independent representation comprising the tracing information.

15. The method of claim 14, where the method further comprises:

identifying a programmable application program interface (API) that programmatically identifies the first part or the second part based on the independent representation.

16. The method of claim 15, where the second entity includes the code and the programmable API allows a user to use an external browser to browse the code.

17. The method of claim 15, where the second entity includes the code, and the method further includes:

using an external code debugger to debug the code.

18. The method of claim 17, where the first entity includes the graphical model, and the method further comprises:

synchronizing a graphical model debugger with the external code debugger prior to debugging the graphical model or the code.

19. The method of claim 18, where the method further comprises:

debugging the graphical model and the code simultaneously.

20. The method of claim 1, where a first part of the first entity is related to a plurality of parts related to the second entity or a second part of the second entity is related to a plurality of parts related to the first entity.

21. The method of claim 20, where identifying the plurality of entities further comprises:

identifying members of the plurality of parts related to the first entity or members of the plurality of parts related to the second entity using unique graphical identifiers.

22. The method of claim 1, where a second part of the second entity further includes a section of a generated report associated with the graphical model.

23. The method of claim 22, where the method further comprises:

graphically identifying the section based on a selection of a first part of the first entity.

24. The method of claim 22, where the method further comprises:

graphically identifying a first part of the first entity based on a selection of the section.

25. The method of claim 22, where the generated report includes one of:

a coverage report,

a model checking report,

a code generation report, or

a profiling report.

26. The method of claim 25, where the generated report comprises at least one of:

a partial listing of the code,

information related to a process used to generate the code, or

information related to an execution of the code or the graphical model.

27. The method of claim 1, where the generated report includes a model coverage report, and the method further comprises:

converting, based on mapping the first entity to the second entity, the model coverage report to a code coverage report.

28. The method of claim 1, where the generated report includes a code coverage report, and the method further comprises:

converting, based on mapping the first entity to the second entity, the code coverage report to a model coverage report.

29. The method of claim 1, where the first entity includes the graphical model, and the method further comprises:

associating an aspect of the graphical model with a second part of the second entity.

30. The method of claim 1, where the first entity includes the graphical model, and the method further comprises:

specifying a scope for aspects in the graphical model,

the aspects related to graphically identifying a second part of the second entity as at least one segment that is within the specified scope.

31. The method of claim 1, where the method further comprises:

selecting a first part of the first entity to graphically identify a second part of the second entity with a graphical identifier.

32. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, the instructions comprising:

one or more instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to;

identify a plurality of entities having relationships therebetween;

access a first entity from the plurality of entities;

access a second entity from the plurality of entities;

map the first entity to the second entity,

the one or more instructions to map the first entity to the second entity including;

one or more instructions to bi-directionally map a first part of the first entity and a second part of the second entity;

determine, based on the mapping, if a graphical affordance, associated with at least one of an intermediate representation of a graphical model or code associated with the graphical model, is selected; and

selectively identify, based on the determining, one or more portions of the graphical model or one or more portions of the at least one of the intermediate representation of the graphical model or the code associated with the graphical model,

the one or more instructions to identify the one or more portions of the graphical model including;

one or more instructions to receive information associated with browsing the at least one of the intermediate representation of the graphical model or the code associated with the graphical model; and

one or more instructions to identify the one or more portions of the graphical model based on the received information associated with browsing the at least one of the intermediate representation of the graphical model or the code associated with the graphical model, and

the one or more instructions to identify the one or more portions of the at least one of the intermediate representation of the graphical model or the code associated with the graphical model including;

one or more instructions to receive information associated with selecting the graphical affordance of the graphical model; and

one or more instructions to identify the at least one of the intermediate representation of the graphical model or the code associated with the graphical model based on the received information associated with selecting the graphical affordance of the graphical model.

33. The computer-readable medium of claim 32, where the first part includes a portion of the graphical model and the second part includes a segment of the code.

34. The computer-readable medium of claim 33, where the instructions further include:

one or more instructions to create a deployable representation that facilitates code inspection in a first environment that is independent of a second environment used to develop the graphical model.

35. The computer-readable medium of claim 34, where the deployable representation comprises a web deployable format.

36. The computer-readable medium of claim 33, where the instructions further include:

one or more instructions to search the graphical model for the portion; and

one or more instructions to graphically relate the segment with the portion.

37. The computer-readable medium of claim 33, where the instructions further include:

one or more instructions to search the code for the segment of the code; and

one or more instructions to graphically relate the segment of the code with the portion of the graphical model.

38. The computer-readable medium of claim 37, where the instructions further include:

one or more instructions to replace the segment with another segment; and

one or more instructions to update the portion to reflect the replacing.

39. The computer-readable medium of claim 33, where the portion further represents an interface of an element and the segment represents at least part of a function related to the interface.

40. The computer-readable medium of claim 33, where the portion of the graphical model represents a user specified element developed in textual code.

41. The computer-readable medium of claim 32, where the one or more instructions to map the first entity to the second entity include:

one or more instructions to generate tracing information that associates the first part with the second part.

42. The computer-readable medium of claim 41, where the instructions further include:

one or more instructions to generate an independent representation comprising the tracing information.

43. The computer-readable medium of claim 42, where the instructions further include:

one or more instructions to identify a programmable application program interface (API) that programmatically identifies the first part or the second part based on the independent representation.

44. The computer-readable medium of claim 32, where the first part is related to a plurality of parts related to the second entity or the second part is related to a plurality of parts related to the first entity.

45. The computer-readable medium of claim 44, where the one or more instructions to identify the plurality of entities include:

one or more instructions to identify members of the plurality of parts related to the first entity or members of the plurality of parts related to the second entity using unique graphical identifiers.

46. The computer-readable medium of claim 32, where the second part includes a section of the generated report and the instructions further include:

one or more instructions to graphically identify the section based on a selection of the first part.

47. The computer-readable medium of claim 32, where the second part includes a section of the generated report and the instructions further include:

one or more instructions to graphically identify the first part based on selection of the section.

48. The computer-readable medium of claim 32, where the first entity includes the graphical model, and the instructions further include:

one or more instructions to associate an aspect of the graphical model with the second part.

49. The computer-readable medium of claim 32, where the first entity includes the graphical model, and the instructions further include:

one or more instructions to specify a scope for aspects in the graphical model, the aspects related to graphically identifying the second part as at least one segment that is within the specified scope.

50. A device comprising:

a memory to store instructions; and

a processor to execute the instructions to;

identify a plurality of entities having relationships therebetween,

access a first entity from the plurality of entities,

access a second entity from the plurality of entities,

map the first entity to the second entity,

where the processor, when mapping the first entity to the second entity, being further to;

bi-directionally map a first part, of the first entity, and a second part, of the second entity,

determine, based on the mapping, if a graphical affordance, associated with at least one of an intermediate representation of a graphical model or code associated with the graphical model, is selected, and

selectively identify, based on the determining, one or more portions of the graphical model or one or more portions of the at least one of the intermediate representation of the graphical model or the code associated with the graphical model,

the processor, when identifying the one or more portions of the graphical model, being to;

receive information associated with browsing the at least one of the intermediate representation of the graphical model or the code associated with the graphical model; and

identify the one or more portions of the graphical model based on the received information associated with browsing the at least one of the intermediate representation of the graphical model or the code associated with the graphical model, and

the processor, when identifying the one or more portions of the at least one of the intermediate representation of the graphical model or the code associated with the graphical model, being to;

receive information associated with selecting the graphical affordance of the graphical model; and

identify the at least one of the intermediate representation of the graphical model or the code associated with the graphical model based on the received information associated with selecting the graphical affordance of the graphical model.

51. The device of claim 50, where the first part includes a portion of the graphical model and the second part includes a segment of the code.

52. The device of claim 51, where the processor is further to:

create a deployable representation that facilitates code inspection in a first environment that is independent of a second environment used to develop the graphical model.

53. The device of claim 52, where the deployable representation comprises a web deployable format.

54. The device of claim 51, where the processor is further to:

search the graphical model for the portion; and

graphically relate the segment with the portion.

55. The device of claim 51, where the processor is further to:

search the code for the segment; and

graphically relate the segment with the portion.

56. The device of claim 55, where the processor is further to:

replace the segment with another segment; and

update the portion to reflect replacing the segment with the other segment.

57. The device of claim 51, where the portion further represents an interface of an element and the segment represents at least part of a function related to the interface.

58. The device of claim 51, where the portion of the graphical model represents a user specified element developed in textual code.

59. The device of claim 50, where the processor, when mapping the first entity to the second entity, is further to:

generate tracing information that associates the first part with the second part.

60. The device of claim 59, where the processor is further to:

generate an independent representation that includes the tracing information.

61. The device of claim 60, where the processor is further to:

identify a programmable application program interface (API) that programmatically identifies the first part or the second part based on the independent representation.

62. The device of claim 50, where the first part is related to a plurality of parts related to the second entity or the second part is related to a plurality of parts related to the first entity.

63. The device of claim 62, where the processor, when identifying the plurality of entities, is further to:

identify, using unique graphical identifiers, members of the plurality of parts related to the first entity or members of the plurality of parts related to the second entity.

64. The device of claim 50, where the second part includes a section of the generated report, and wherein the is further to:

graphically identify the section based on a selection of the first part.

65. The device of claim 50, where the second part includes a section of the generated report, and the processor is further to:

graphically identify the first part based on selection of the section.

66. The device of claim 50, where the first entity includes the graphical model, and the processor is further to:

associate an aspect of the graphical model with the second part.

67. The device of claim 50, where the first entity includes the graphical model, and the processor is further to:

specify a scope for aspects in the graphical model, the aspects related to graphically identifying the second part as at least one segment that is within the scope.