Design Reuse Evaluations (DRE) - Together Control Center Plug-Ins

Finally we come out with the first version of our DRE-PlugIns for TCC.

We developed two PlugIns for TCC, namely DRE-UML-PlugIn and DRE-Tool-PlugIn.

The DRE-UML-PlugIn incorporates parts of the measurements that the orginal DRE-Tool provides, but the main focus is on reuse assessments on UML diagrams. This gives you, as developer, the chance to assess the reuse potential of your projects during desgin phase.
Before trying the DRE-UML-PlugIn it is recommend to read about the underlying theory, which is documented in:
F. Eickhoff, J. Ellis, S. Demurjian, D. Needham: A Reuse Definition, Assessment, and Analysis Framework for UML

With the DRE-Tool-PlugIn we crafted a bridge between TCC and the standalone DRE-Tool. This enables you as developer to set generalities and relations in TCC and ship them over to the standalone DRE to run reuse measurements on your source code.
Before trying the DRE-Tool-PlugIn it is recommend to read about the underlying theory, which is documented on our Theory-Page.

Downloads:

• User Manual
• PlugIns (The zip includes both PlugIns. Installation instructions are in the user manual.)

Download TCC at www.togethersoft.com

DRE-UML Overview:

The DRE-UML-PlugIn for TCC is supposed to provide reuse assessment during desgin time. The basic idea is not only to measure the reuse potential of Classes, but also for Use Cases and Components. Using the DRE-PlugIn during your design involves a few additional steps:

1. Assign generalities to Use Cases expressing whether a Use Case is intended for future reuse or not.
2. Assign generalities to Classes also expressing the reusability of a Class for future projects.
3. Relate Classes that realize a Use Case to this Use Case. Classes may be related to serveral Use Cases.
4. Relate Classes to Classes. These relations express that these classes are intened to work together.
5. Relate Classes to Components. These classes should be used by the components.
6. Set Facade Classes for Components. Components should only be accessed through these classes or their supported Interfaces.
7. Relate Classes/Interfaces to Component Interfaces. These classes/interfaces represent the Component Interface.
8. Finally run the DRE-PlugIn. It will present you warnings on reusablity violations and provide you refactoring guidelines to improve your design.
9. Based on the results of step 5, run through steps 1 to 4 to refine and improve your design.

The DRE-PlugIn runs its warning based on the following properties:

• Use Case Diagrams:
• Generalities
• Dependencies to other Use Cases (include, extend, generalize)
• Related Classes
• Class Diagrams:
• Generalities
• Dependencies to other Classes (association, dependency, generalization)
• Related Classes
• Sequence/Collaboration Diagrams:
• Method invocations
• Component Diagrams:
• Related Classes
• Facade Classes
• Implemented Interfaces
• Dependencies between Components and Interfaces

For further information on the warnings check out our paper or the user manual.

Steps with DRE-UML-PlugIn in TCC:

Step 1/2:



Setting the generality of Use Cases/Classes.

Step 3/4/5/6/7:



Relating classes to Use Cases, Classes, Components, Component Interfaces.

Step 8:



Run the DRE-UML-PlugIn.

Step 9:



Look at the warnings.

DRE-Tool Overview:

The DRE-Tool-PlugIn crafts a brigde between TCC and the standalone DRE-Tool. You can set generalities for classes and relations between classes using TCC as shown above. As soon as you have some source code you just run the DRE-Tool-PlugIn and it runs the standalone DRE-Tool for you shipping over all necessary information. If you make changes on generalities or relations these are automatically shipped back to TCC as soon as you close the standalone DRE-Tool.



DRE-Tool started from TCC

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Last Modified: 28 July 2002