Evaluation of some CASE tools for reverse engineering and application generators University of...
-
date post
20-Dec-2015 -
Category
Documents
-
view
218 -
download
0
Transcript of Evaluation of some CASE tools for reverse engineering and application generators University of...
Evaluation of some CASE tools for reverse engineering and application
generators
Evaluation of some CASE tools for reverse engineering and application
generators
University of ZagrebFaculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing
Krešimir Fertalj
2FER-ZPR, Fertalj: Evaluation of some CASE and Generators, DAAD workshop, Risan, sept 2007.
Computer-aided software engineering
Computer-aided software engineering (CASE) Software to support software development and evolution processes
[Sommerville]. Automated software tool used by systems analysts to develop information
systems [Hoffer et al].
CASE Classification [Sommerville] Functional perspective
• Tools are classified according to their specific function. Process perspective
• Tools are classified according to process activities that are supported. Integration perspective
• Tools are classified according to their organisation into integrated units.
3FER-ZPR, Fertalj: Evaluation of some CASE and Generators, DAAD workshop, Risan, sept 2007.
Tool classification
Specification Design Implementation Verificationand
Validation
Re-engineering tools
Testing tools
Debugging tools
Program analysis tools
Language-processingtools
Method support tools
Prototyping tools
Configurationmanagement tools
Change management tools
Documentation tools
Editing tools
Planning tools
Functional perspective
Process perspective
4FER-ZPR, Fertalj: Evaluation of some CASE and Generators, DAAD workshop, Risan, sept 2007.
CASE integration
Tools Support individual
process tasks such as design consistency checking, text editing, etc.
Workbenches Support a process
phase such as specification or design, Normally include a number of integrated tools.
Environments Support all or a
substantial part of an entire software process. Normally include several integrated workbenches.
Single-methodworkbenches
General-purposeworkbenches
Multi-methodworkbenches
Language-specificworkbenches
Programming TestingAnalysis and
design
Integratedenvironments
Process-centredenvironments
Filecomparators
CompilersEditors
EnvironmentsWorkbenchesTools
CASEtechnology
5FER-ZPR, Fertalj: Evaluation of some CASE and Generators, DAAD workshop, Risan, sept 2007.
Components of CASE [Hoffer et al]
Upper CASE CASE tools designed to support the information planning and the project identification
and selection, project initiation and planning, analysis and design phases of the SDLC Lower CASE
CASE tools designed to support the implementation and maintenance phases of the SDLC
Cross life-cycle CASE CASE tools designed to support activities that occur across multiple phases of the
SDLC Integrated CASE (I-CASE)
Automated systems development environment that provides numerous tools to create diagrams, forms and reports, and code generation facilities, by using the central repository
Types of CASE tools Diagramming tools Computer display and report generators Analysis tools used to check for incomplete, inconsistent or incorrect specifications A central repository Documentation generators Code generators
7FER-ZPR, Fertalj: Evaluation of some CASE and Generators, DAAD workshop, Risan, sept 2007.
Evaluation of Reverse Engineering Capabilities
Basic reverse engineering steps (in general) Decompilation of executables to get
the source code Analysis of software components to
produce the models
Evaluation of CASE tools capable of source code analysis Analysis of application Bank,
described in Rational Application Developer V6 Programming Guide, available at ftp://www.redbooks.ibm.com/redbooks/SG246449/6449code.zip
8FER-ZPR, Fertalj: Evaluation of some CASE and Generators, DAAD workshop, Risan, sept 2007.
Candidate ToolsTool URL License
Operating systems
Supported languages
AmaterasUML Eclipse plugin
1.2.2 http://amateras.source.jp free
Microsoft Windows Linux
Mac OS X Java
ArgoUML 0.24 http://argouml.tigris.org free
Microsoft Windows
Linux Mac OS X
Java
IBM Rational Software
Architect 7.0
http://www-306.ibm.com/software/ awdtools/architect/swarchitect/index.
html comm
Microsoft Windows
Linux Java
JGrasp 1.8.6 http://www.jgrasp.org/ free Microsoft Windows Mac OS X
Java
Microsoft Visio 2007
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/visio/default.aspx
comm Microsoft Windows
C++ C#
Visual Basic
NetBeans 5.5 http://www.netbeans.org/ free
Microsoft Windows Linux
Mac OS X Solaris
Java
StarUML 5.0 http://staruml.sourceforge.net/en free Microsoft Windows
Java C++ C#
VisualParadigm for UML 6.0
Enterprise Edition
http://www.visual-paradigm.com comm Microsoft Windows
Java C++ Ada PHP
9FER-ZPR, Fertalj: Evaluation of some CASE and Generators, DAAD workshop, Risan, sept 2007.
AmaterasUML Eclipse plugin
Does not recognize relationships between classes. No automatic layout feature. Diagram can be saved only as JPEG image. Eclipse can crash for models with 50 classes or more. No automatic synchronization between diagram and source code.
10FER-ZPR, Fertalj: Evaluation of some CASE and Generators, DAAD workshop, Risan, sept 2007.
ArgoUML
The tool can analyze whole folders but has no filter to choose only interesting components
Raster formats (PNG i GIF) and vector formats (SVG, PS and EPS) Check list of actions recommended to improve the code Automatic sync of source code with diagrams, but not vice versa
11FER-ZPR, Fertalj: Evaluation of some CASE and Generators, DAAD workshop, Risan, sept 2007.
IBM Rational Software Architect 7.0
Drag&drop selection of components to be analyzed
Raster (GIF, BMP, JPEG, PNG) and vector (SVG) formats
RSA recognizes inheritance but not associations (although the tested code was generated by the RSA v6 !?)
Full sync of code and diagrams
12FER-ZPR, Fertalj: Evaluation of some CASE and Generators, DAAD workshop, Risan, sept 2007.
jGRASP
Import of individual components into project Shows only classes, not attributes nor methods Missing associations, other relationships are shown only when the
source is compiled by using the tool Several automatic layout features, all of them weak No feature to export diagrams as graphics
13FER-ZPR, Fertalj: Evaluation of some CASE and Generators, DAAD workshop, Risan, sept 2007.
NetBeans
Complete development environment
Good automatic layout features (hierarchical, orthogonal, symmetric)
Raster (JPEG, PNG) and vector (SVG) formats supported
No sync between diagrams and code
Very robust
14FER-ZPR, Fertalj: Evaluation of some CASE and Generators, DAAD workshop, Risan, sept 2007.
StarUML
Java analyzed package by package Automatic layout supported by default Raster (JPEG i BMP) and vector (EMF i WMF) exports supported Synchronization between diagrams and code possible For models with over 50 classes, some objects may not be shown
on diagram
15FER-ZPR, Fertalj: Evaluation of some CASE and Generators, DAAD workshop, Risan, sept 2007.
VisualParadigm for UML
Instant reverse wizard Analysis of folders and ZIP archives The tool is capable of analyzing both JAR and class files Good automatic layout feature Raster (JPEG, PNG) and vector (SVG i EMF) formats Generation of various reports (HTML, PDF, Word, etc.) Java Round-trip feature to keep source and diagrams in sync
16FER-ZPR, Fertalj: Evaluation of some CASE and Generators, DAAD workshop, Risan, sept 2007.
Conclusions regarding evaluated UML tools
Visual Paradigm is the only tool that enables preview of complete structure of the project. It can be integrated into Eclipse and NetBeans IDEs.
ArgoUML, NetBeans and StarUML very useful where there is no need to analyze project as a whole.
IBM Rational Software Architect shows some unexpected weaknesse.
The other tools are not mature enough.
18FER-ZPR, Fertalj: Evaluation of some CASE and Generators, DAAD workshop, Risan, sept 2007.
Forms of Active Code Generation [Herrington]
Code munging inputs source code files, most likely using regular expressions or simple
source parsing, and then uses built-in or external templates to build output Inline code expanding
takes source code as input and creates production code as output, by expanding special markups
Mixed-code generation reads a source code file and then modifies and replaces the file in place, e.g.
by looking for and filling specially formatted comments Partial-class generation
reads an abstract definition file that contains enough information to build a set of classes. Next, it uses templates to build the output base class libraries.
Tier or layer generation the generator builds one complete tier of an n-tier system. An example of tier generation is model-driven generation, wherein a UML
authoring application is used in conjunction with a generator and an input definition file (often in XML) to output one or more tiers of a system.
19FER-ZPR, Fertalj: Evaluation of some CASE and Generators, DAAD workshop, Risan, sept 2007.
CodeSmith Template based tool that
generates C#, VB, J# or any other ASCII based programming language.
The templates can be customized by using the syntax similar to ASP.NET
Standard and Pro edition.
Some features CodeSmith Studio - IDE Fast Compiler & Template Caching –
compilation and execution of templates Template Debugging XML support Console client – automated generation SQL script execution
20FER-ZPR, Fertalj: Evaluation of some CASE and Generators, DAAD workshop, Risan, sept 2007.
Iron Speed Generator of .NET Web Applications
generates UI, web page logic, data access layer cappable of generating almost 80% of application application logic should be coded manually Enterprise, Pro and Free edition.
Some features Application wizard Page style templates Role based security Menu configuration ...
21FER-ZPR, Fertalj: Evaluation of some CASE and Generators, DAAD workshop, Risan, sept 2007.
MyGeneration
Template based generator Templates can be written by using JScript, VBScript, C#, VB.NET.
Supported architectures: dOOdads, EntitySpaces, EasyObjects.NET/EntLib, Gentle.NET, Opf3,
NHibernate, Microsoft's DAAB, DotNetNuke, iBatis.
Supported databases: Microsoft SQL, Oracle, IBM DB2, PostgreSQL, Microsoft Access, FireBird,
Interbase, VistaDB, SQLite, MySQL, Advantage, Pervasive
22FER-ZPR, Fertalj: Evaluation of some CASE and Generators, DAAD workshop, Risan, sept 2007.
Mia-Generation
Model based generator, link between UML modeling tools and IDEs
Main features: UML model based Support for Rose,
Rhapsody, Together, Poseidon and other XMI tools
Code generation based on templates
Templates written in Java Integration of manually
written source code Support for all major
technologies (Microsoft, Java/J2EE, etc)
23FER-ZPR, Fertalj: Evaluation of some CASE and Generators, DAAD workshop, Risan, sept 2007.
Conclusions Regarding Code Generators
Properly used, the source code generators can Shorten the coding time Reduce the number of errors Make customization of programs more efficient Contribute to writing of consistent and quality code
Potential risks Dependability on producer of the tool Bad applications as the result of bad templates Use of inadequate tools or templates can be contra productive
25FER-ZPR, Fertalj: Evaluation of some CASE and Generators, DAAD workshop, Risan, sept 2007.
Web Application Generators Context
Web applications today more and more common and complex replacing stand-alone applications in many areas often object-oriented, n-tier extensive data input, reporting
common problems with development slower than development of stand-alone or client applications client and server code
Evaluated Tools CodeCharge CodeJay Visual Studio .NET ASP.NET WebMatrix
26FER-ZPR, Fertalj: Evaluation of some CASE and Generators, DAAD workshop, Risan, sept 2007.
Supported Technologies
Web Servers often determine the programming language used (i.e. IIS and ASP) script engine process the dynamic Web pages
Web Programming Languages ASP, JSP, PHP, ColdFusion, Perl, ASP.NET, Java servlets,... languages: compiled, interpreted; object-oriented sometimes require unique approach for problem solution
Databases database connection technologies: OLEDB, ODBC, JDBC, ... different databases supported:
• Informix, Access, SQL Server, Oracle, mySQL, PostgreSQL,... Web applications usually optimized for one database different connection settings, SQL commands, features generating SQL statements using visual relationships between tables
(WebMatrix)
27FER-ZPR, Fertalj: Evaluation of some CASE and Generators, DAAD workshop, Risan, sept 2007.
Features of Web Application Generators
Integrated Development Environments (IDE) and Wizards HTML designer, code editor, Web page preview, debugger application builders and wizards Visual Studio.NET – advanced development platform, but lacking code
generation features editing projects with other development tools
Security management Often depending on system’s architecture, database design, user roles, use
of cookies, etc. Some simple/more advanced autorization scenarios can be generated
automatically given specific parameters (CodeCharge)
28FER-ZPR, Fertalj: Evaluation of some CASE and Generators, DAAD workshop, Risan, sept 2007.
Features of Web Application Generators
Forms Basis of the majority of Web applications Most challenging part of the application (user input data validation, database
access, interaction with other controls on the page) Errors in design can result in corrupted data in the database and application
instability Knowing the database table structure most generators can generate different
types of forms User-friendly forms often require manual modification of generated code –
good quality code is essential
Reports Easier to implement, especially reports with no user input Common problems: multiple level selection reports, paging Visual representation of data is helpful
29FER-ZPR, Fertalj: Evaluation of some CASE and Generators, DAAD workshop, Risan, sept 2007.
Features of Web Application Generators
Templates and customizable design Consistent appearance accross pages helps users Templates often use CSS to achieve that Changing the template involves updating links to all pages to new style sheet
(CodeCharge)
Menus and navigation Limited support by Web application generators Stand-alone menu with links to other pages Various third party components for Web menus
Publishing LAN, FTP, FrontPage extensions Synchronization of files
30FER-ZPR, Fertalj: Evaluation of some CASE and Generators, DAAD workshop, Risan, sept 2007.
Quality of Generated Code
Separation of server-side code and Web page design Should be used when supported by the language ASP.NET provides framework for that separation
• ASPX files: HTML and bound fields
• Code behind files: getting the data and preparing it for display Easier design changes Better code reuse
Linear or Object-oriented design Large applications require further code separation
• database access classes
• business layer(s) Database access class enables:
• Multiple database support
• Easier error handling and logging Generating one form may result in many files and classes OO approach also useful in defining general page layout
31FER-ZPR, Fertalj: Evaluation of some CASE and Generators, DAAD workshop, Risan, sept 2007.
Quality of Generated Code
Code Maintenance and Modification Can all desired functions be generated? Code readability Support for external developer tools and integration Use on existing projects Code duplication or library
Database Access Code and Stored Procedures Support for both SQL statements in code and stored procedures (both
needed in some cases) Using stored procedures as data source Generating stored procedures SQL statements outside database access classes – usually harder to
maintain and reuse Mixing SQL and HTML code should be avoided (CodeJay)
32FER-ZPR, Fertalj: Evaluation of some CASE and Generators, DAAD workshop, Risan, sept 2007.
Quality of Generated Code
Error Handling and Logging Centralized error handling supported by several programming languages
(e.g. ASP.NET) Logging all relevant events and errors (with context) to database increases
security and debugging
Comments and Documentation Generated code needs customization Comments explaining generated code Comments showing where to insert the custom code Automatic generation of documentation often not supported
33FER-ZPR, Fertalj: Evaluation of some CASE and Generators, DAAD workshop, Risan, sept 2007.
Conclusions regarding Web application generators
Many Web application generators on the market
Quick results on new projects, harder customization
Often not implementing best programming practices
Inability to fully customize code generation process
A limited number of real projects can fully benefit from Web application generators
35FER-ZPR, Fertalj: Evaluation of some CASE and Generators, DAAD workshop, Risan, sept 2007.
References
F. Budinsky et. al: Automatic Code Design from Design Patterns, Toronto Software Laboratory, T.J. Watson Research Center.
E. Eilam: Reversing : Secrets of Reversing Engineering, Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana. 2005.
T. Helman, K. Fertalj: “A Critique of Web Application Generators”, Proceedings of the 25th International Conference on Information Technology Interfaces, June 16-19, 2003, Cavtat, Croatia, ISBN 953-96769-6-7, pp. 639-644.
J. Herrington: Code Generation in Action, Manning Publications, 2003. J. A. Hoffer, J. F. George, J. S. Valacich: Modern Systems Analysis and
Design, 3/e, Prentice Hall College Div, 2001. R.S. Pressman: Software Engineering: A Practitioner's Approach, 6/e,
McGraw-Hill, 2004. I. Sommerville: Software Engineering, 7th ed. Addison-Wesley Publishing
Company. 2004.
36FER-ZPR, Fertalj: Evaluation of some CASE and Generators, DAAD workshop, Risan, sept 2007.
URLs
http://amateras.source.jp http://argouml.tigris.org http://www.codecharge.com http://www.codejay.com/ http://www.codesmithtools.com/ http://www.codegeneration.net/ http://www.jgrasp.org/ http://www.ironspeed.com/ http://www.mia-software.com http://www.mygenerationsoftware.com http://www.netbeans.org/ http://www-306.ibm.com/software/awdtools/architect/swarchitect/index.html http://staruml.sourceforge.net/en http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/visio/default.aspx http://www.visual-paradigm.com http://www.asp.net/webmatrix/