How to map ports in FMC4SE to "standard" FMC in SpecIF?

[oalt]

In the FMC4SE systems engineering extension the communication channel (circle symbol) is replaced by "UML Ports". These ports are sub-elements of the component element. The advantage of that approach is, that you can seperate and reuse a component without loosing the interface information. The figure above shows the principle. Now it is possible to model a connection between two active components in 2 different ways:

1. A direct connector line from one port to the next port
2. A connection from the first port to an explicit modeled passive element and a second connection from the passive component to the target port: In the example above you can see an example of a direct connection (Electronic Document) and a passive element in between (Invoice Document).

How should we map this to SpecIF?

[odungern]

Let us first look, how the original FMC notation is mapped to SpecIF:

• Both communication partners are modelled as an 'actor'.
• The piece of information exchanged is a 'state'.
• The connections are modelled with 'read' and 'write' statements. FMC defines -- no arrow → bidirectional = 'read' and 'write', or -- both arrows which expresses the same or -- just one arrow → 'read' resp. 'write'.
• Perhaps there are other possible mappings, but so far, it has proven useful.
• Please note that all FMC diagram types are 'bipartite', means that connections may only be made between different of the two eligible model element types.

This would correspond to your upper left option:

• the statement would be between the actor 'Mail Room' and the state 'Invoice Document' resp. between the state 'Invoice Document' and the actor 'Document Scanner'.

When looking at the option on the lower right, I would not know right away which statement could be created between which model elements ... and how they would be named. 'Electronic Document' flows to 'Electronic Document'?