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  1. OMG Issue

UAF13 — Incorrect of the Term 'Modelling Language' As Synonym for a UML Profile

  • Key: UAF13-155
  • Status: open  
  • Source: Eclectica Systems Ltd ( Nic Plum)
  • Summary:

    Puzzled why the UML profile for the UAF, the UAFP, is now incorrectly termed the UAF Modelling Language as this introduces yet another unwanted term for a UML Profile that is in use for the SysML and the UML yet somehow confusing or not good enough for the UAF requiring it to invent its own bespoke term for the same concept.

    Looking at closed issue UAF-29 - https://issues.omg.org/issues/UAF12-29

    The argument then made:
    'Misunderstanding about whether the UAF Profile can be used in modeling an enterprise architecture. Not uncommon for managers to think that they must use SysML to model their EA since they don't realize that the UAFP is already designed with the semantics for modeling enterprise constructs such as capability, enterprise phase, processes, personnel, operations, services, portfolios, etc. This misunderstanding is largely due to fact that UAFP is called a "profile" and many don't understand what is meant by profile. '

    1) The UAFP is as is explained at length in the EA User Guide - an implementatoion of SysML so, yes, SysML is used for the UAF views. Are you stating that the UAF views can be produced in a UML modelling tool without the UAFP and without the SysML (non SysML users Don't Care About the this as it is irrelevant)
    2) The UAFP is a UML profile. If it isn't please explian why - there does seem to be an XML file that is a UML profile
    3) No users should be concerned with UML profiles - if they are it is because the OMG unnecesarily include this in user-facing documentation. The solution is to remove references to it from the EA User Guide

    The disposition on closing then states:

    'The decision has been taken by the group to rename the profile part of the specification to the modelling language following the naming convention of OMG, e.g. UML, SysML, SoaML, RAAML, etc. The change will improve clarity of the purpose of the document as the term "Profile" is not so well understood in non UML modellers community. Plus it is more than just profile. It also brings notation. '

    4) The UAFML is not distinct from the SysML - is every model using the SYSML now its own modelling language? Of course not.
    5) '"Profile" is not so well understood in non UML modellers ' - why does any non-UML modeller care about a profile - it's completely irrelevant because it's an implementation mechanism for a UML modelling tool. Non-UML modellers use the DMM which is supposed to be - but isn't quite yet - UML free / agnostic. This is invalid.
    6) The SysML and the UML are UML profiles. They also have 'notation' - whatever 'notation' means since this doesn't form part of any specification of the UAF DMM.
    7) The DMM correctly identifies the UAFML as a profile : 'The Unified Architecture Framework Modeling Language (UAFML) is the standard implementation of the UAF DMM. It was created by mapping the UAF concepts and relationships to corresponding stereotypes in the UAFML Profile.'
    8) The user cannot use the UAFML to create views - the XML profile does not content elements to represent the UAF architecture views nor define what is allowed in each `UAF architecture view - this is done in the UML modelling tool. The users cannot therefore use the UAFML without this extra hidden 'magic' (technical debt). They can, however, open a UML modelling tool and use the tool to create a UAF view of a particular flavour (with no mention or reference to the UAFML in sight).

    It is this casual creation of new terms to refer to existing terms that is one of the root causes of inconsistency within the UAF. The point of standardisation is sticking to the terms not constantly rolling your own.

  • Reported: UAF 1.2 — Thu, 18 Apr 2024 12:33 GMT
  • Updated: Mon, 22 Apr 2024 15:53 GMT