Analysing UML Active Classes and Associated State Machines - A Lightweight Formal Approach

We propose a precise definition of UML active classes through associated labelled transition systems using the algebraic Specification language Casl. We are convinced that the first step to make UML precise is to find an underlying formal model for the systems modelled by UML, and we argue that labelled transition systems are a sensible choice. This modelization will help understanding the UML constructs and will improve their use in practice. One of our aims is, in the future, to use the powerful animation and verification tools available for algebraic specifications with UML Specifications. We simplify the problem of the applicability of our semantics by restricting the state machine constructs considered. This restriction does not, however, narrow the UML subset in study because the restricted constructs can be replaced by equivalent combinations of other constructs. Because of some ambiguities in the UML official semantics, we discuss the several options at hand and choose, for each ambiguous case, the semantics that either makes more sense or that allows to simplify the problem the most.