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An XML Schema Design Methodology Based On XUML

Posted on:2007-02-08Degree:DoctorType:Dissertation
Country:ChinaCandidate:H X LiuFull Text:PDF
GTID:1118360242961893Subject:Computer software and theory
Abstract/Summary:PDF Full Text Request
XML(eXtensible Markup Language) has become the most important standard for representing and exchanging data on Internet/Intranet. XML has been widely used in many areas, such as Semantic Web, E-Commerce, Content Management, and Web Services. XML schema is the foundation for XML application, and improper XML schema may cause data redundancies and operational abnormalities which is similar to that in traditional database. With the popularity of XML the researches on XML schema design are considered of important theoretic and practical significance, but the related researches are now mostly focused on the logic layer. Conceptual modeling is an important approach to software development, so XML conceptual model and related design methodology are the significant topics worthy of in-depth investigation.XML schema design is related to different aspects. A"4D modeling framework"is presented in order to avoid the confusion among concepts. The 4D modeling framework provides a definite context, in which it is easy to discuss documents and databases.The existing XML conceptual models have their limitation, largely because the semantic, such as"containment"and"multiple-scope", could not be sufficiently described. XUML is a XML conceptual model based on UML. It is independent of specific XML schema definition language, and puts emphasis on describing relationships between domain concepts and defining related semantic constrains. XUML has the improvement on the modeling of"containment"by introducing some new modeling constructs, such as component and part, generic aggregation, inner association in component, and the related constrains.Three main aspects, which are element nesting, inner association and datatype reuse, are involved in XML design. It is easy to fall into confusion if all the aspects are taken into account at the same time. Conceptual modeling methodology based on XUML adopts a modeling framework to guide the XML design. The modeling framework is called"3 Dimensions-2 Faces"in this dissertation,"3 Dimensions"refers to the modeling from three different viewpoints, and"2 Faces"refers to the separation of structure design and type reuse. An effective conceptual model can be generated after different views are integrated.XML normalization theory is recently a research focus, but the existing research outcomes are very complex so they are hard to be understood by XML designers. The development of database design methodology reveals that it is more effective to apply normalization theory in conceptual design than that in logical design. By following the successful approach, the characteristics of XML normal form are represented in XUML. Several XUML forms are defined, and the normalization based on XUML is investigated. The research on XML normalization theory further enhances XUML methodology.Tools are important for the application of XUML. An integrated framework for the modeling of XUML is presented. The XUML and the modeling of XUML are supported by expanding the existing UML modeling tools, and the automatical transformation from XUML to XML schema is also investigated and implemented.Model Driven Architecture (MDA) is the guidance for the research in this dissertation. The research shows that proper XML schema could be generated, if the conceptual modeling based on XUML be emphasized and the transformation between models be performed by specific tool.
Keywords/Search Tags:XML, Design, Conceptual Model, Normalization, Normal Form, Model Transformation, Design Tools
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