Contextual search for modeling notations

• US 9,195,660 B2
• Filed: 11/28/2011
• Issued: 11/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: David, Amid, Ateret, Anaby-Tavor, David, Boaz, Lior, Limonad
• Primary Examiner(s): COLUCCI, MICHAEL C
• Application Number:
  US13/304,709
• Publication Number:
  US 20130138423A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,457 Days
• Field of Search: 348/231.3, 382/224, 717/105, 715/752, 707/772, 707/723, 707/706, 706/12, 705/7.32, 704/8, 704/275, 455/418, 434/156, 345/619
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems

Abstract

A method, an apparatus, and a computer program product for contextual-based search of modeling notations to be used in a model. The method comprises obtaining a contextual property of a notation to be used in a diagram, wherein the contextual property defines a context of a usage of the notation in the diagram; and searching in a notation-base for notations, whereby a search result set is obtained, wherein the search result set comprises notations that were previously used in a similar context to the contextual property, wherein the notation-base is stored in a data storage.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method performed by a processor, the method comprising:

obtaining a contextual property of a notation to be used in a diagram, wherein the diagram is visual illustration comprising notations and adhering, at least loosely, to grammar of a modeling language, wherein the contextual property defines a context of a usage of the notation in the diagram with respect to the modeling language, and wherein the notation is a graphic symbol; and

searching in a notation-base for notations, whereby a search result set is obtained, wherein the search result set comprises notations that were previously used in one or more diagrams in a similar context to the contextual property, wherein the one or more diagrams are visual illustrations adhering, at least loosely, to grammar of the modeling language, wherein the notation-base is stored in a data storage.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the contextual property is selected from a group consisting of:

affiliation of an author of the diagram, a domain of the diagram, and an ontological category of the notation.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the ontological category of the notation is selected from a set of predetermined types of objects.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 wherein the ontological category is selected from:

an entity type of the diagram;

a relationship type between entities of the diagram;

an actor type in the diagram; and

an event type occurring in the diagram.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said searching is further based on a usage description of the notation, whereby the search result set comprises notations that were previously used in a similar diagram for a similar purpose.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising ranking the search result set based on popularity of usage in accordance with a similar context to the contextual property.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein said ranking is performed in accordance with at least one of the following metrics:

Most Widely Used (MWU) in the notation-base; and

Most Recently Used (MRC) in the notation-based with respect to a timeframe.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprises filtering notations based on a visual characteristic of the notation.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein in response to a user'"'"'s selection of a notation out of the search result set to be used in the diagram, updating the notation-base with usage information, whereby the notation-base is updated to reflect that the notation is used within the contextual property.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein in response to a user'"'"'s determination to use a new notation instead of notations of the search result set, adding the new notation to the notation-base with usage information, whereby the notation-base is enriched with the new notation and is updated to reflect that the new notation is used within the contextual property.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining a set of existing diagrams;

and

with respect to each existing diagram;

determining contextual property of each utilized notation which is used in the existing diagram; and

updating the notation-base to reflect usage of the utilized notation.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, whereby the notation-base is updated to reflect accumulated collaborative contextual information regarding usage of notations in diagrams.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the diagram is a formal model being defined using a visual modeling language.

14. A computerized apparatus comprising:

a processor which is arranged to;

obtain a contextual property of a notation to be used in a diagram, wherein the diagram is visual illustration comprising notations and adhering, at least loosely, to grammar of a modeling language, wherein the contextual property defines a context of a usage of the notation in the diagram with respect to the modeling language, and wherein the notation is a graphic symbol; and

search in a notation-base for notations, whereby a search result set is obtained, wherein the search result set comprises notations that were previously used in one or more diagrams in a similar context to the contextual property, wherein the one or more diagrams are visual illustrations adhering, at least loosely, to grammar of the modeling language; and

wherein the computerized apparatus is operatively coupled to the notation-base.

15. The computerized apparatus of claim 14, wherein the processor is configured to searching in the notation-base based on a usage description of the notation, whereby the search result set comprises notations that were previously used in a similar diagram for a similar purpose.

16. The computerized apparatus of claim 14, wherein said processor is further arranged to rank the search result set based on popularity of usage in accordance with a similar context to the contextual property.

17. The computerized apparatus of claim 16, wherein ranking is performed in accordance with at least one of the following metrics:

Most Widely Used (MWU) in the notation-base; and

Most Recently Used (MRC) in the notation-based with respect to a timeframe.

18. The computerized apparatus of claim 14, wherein said processor is arranged to update the notation-base with usage information in response to a user'"'"'s selection of a notation out of the search result set to be used in the diagram, whereby said apparatus is configured to update the notation-base to reflect that the notation is used within the contextual property.

19. The computerized apparatus of claim 14, wherein said processor is arranged to add a new notation to the notation-base with usage information, in response to a user'"'"'s determination to use the new notation instead of notations of the search result set, whereby said apparatus is configured to enrich the notation-base with the new notation and to update the notation-base to reflect that the new notation is used within the contextual property.

20. A computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable medium;

a first program instruction for obtaining a contextual property of a notation to be used in a diagram, wherein the diagram is visual illustration comprising notations and adhering, at least loosely, to grammar of a modeling language, wherein the contextual property defines a context of a usage of the notation in the diagram with respect to the modeling language, and wherein the notation is a graphic symbol;

a second program instruction for searching in a notation-base for notations, whereby a search result set is obtained, wherein the search result set comprises notations that were previously used in one or more diagrams in a similar context to the contextual property, wherein the one or more diagrams are visual illustrations adhering, at least loosely, to grammar of the modeling language, wherein the notation-base is stored in a data storage; and

wherein said first, second, and third program instructions are stored on said non-transitory computer readable medium.