[Modeling] Class Diagram Specification

[sehl mellouli]

Hello all,
you can find my comments below:

Wagner, G.R. wrote:
>>We need to define an Agent Diagram (I will not use the term class 
>>diagram since agent is not a class!!). 
> 
> 
> We may call this "AUML Agent Diagram", but it will have to be
> a form (extension of UML) class diagrams. Of course, an agent
> is not a class (since it's an individual, while a UML class 
> represents a universal), but an agent type is something like 
> a UML class, and we should either use a UML class stereotype
> in a UML Profile or a metaclass in a MOF metamodel for
> modeling the features (attributes, operations, associations) 
> of agent types compatibly with those of object types.

AUML agent diagram can be drawn in level2 proposed by Marc-philippe. But 
in level one, we have to deal with agent concepts without considering 
implementation aspects. There is a big gap between agent concepts and 
implementation.


>  
> 
>>These tasks can be grouped semantically together to form roles. 
> 
> 
> How to model roles is an additional (difficult) issue.

We need to mdel roles since they are the base to define agents. An agent 
has to play roles in an organization. We cannot omit this aspect in 
modeling a MAS. If we look at the use cases as a set of system 
functionalities, we can group this functionalities semantically to 
define roles. This is what is really done. In an organization, we have 
certain tasks to do. So we group these tasks to define a role. After we 
assign this role to an agent.

Now we have to define a role structure that is for example: its 
functionalities, resources, interaction protocol it has to use, etc.
We can also define relations between roles, because they are between 
roles and not agent. If you become a department chief in addition that 
you are a professor, you have to develop new relations with other 
agents, and interact with them. These new relations and interactions are 
brought by the role and not the agent. So the agent has to follow its 
roles relations and protocols.

>  
> -Gerd
> 

Best regards,



-- 
Mellouli Sehl
Computer Science Engineer
Information Systems Administration MBA
Computer Science Phd Student
Université Laval, Québec, P.Q, Canada
Tél: bur (418) 656-2131 (4704)
Home page: http://www.ift.ulaval.ca/~mellouli