E-CAL: A formal language for software model evolution

Model evolution is a continuous software life cycle process, and its automation can reduce human effort needed and minimize potential error due to the evolution. In this paper we present a formal language constructs to support software model evolution. We have extended Object Constraint Language (OCL) with actions to define a new language called E-CAL (Extended Constraints with Actions Language), which gives users the ability to evaluate objects change a-priori. Data type in form of directed acyclic graph (DAG) is added to E-CAL to automate model evolution. DAG is annotated (ADAG) with dependency weights based on an improved graph labeling scheme. Rules are designed to translate a UML model into CAL data structure (ADAG).