Authors
Richard Paige, Dimitrios Kolovos, & Nicholas Matragkas
Abstract
Spreadsheets are among the most widely used tools in systems engineering, especially for documenting system requirements and tests, and for supporting tasks like impact analysis, traceability management and project planning.
We argue for the treatment of spreadsheets as models, in order to support the systems engineering lifecycle, and to provide a suitable migration path for organisations to follow in maturing their use of modelling techniques.
Sample
Key motivations for treating spreadsheets as models and for supporting the use of model management operations:
- Early stages of engineering. Being able to treat spreadsheets as models enables defining bridges between early stages of systems engineering, and later stages, where more precise languages are needed.
- Support for legacy models. Being able to use legacy spreadsheets as-is with new engineering processes, practices and tools makes it easier to change processes and practices while reducing risk of bad effects on the bottom line.
- Tabular problems need tabular solutions. Specification of control laws, or parameters used to configure product lines, simple requirements capture, and test suite specification are all problems that lend themselves to tabular specifications, where spreadsheets can conceivably provide support.
- Supporting existing skillsets. Providing means for organisations to transition gradually to use of MDE and model management, and allowing those organisations to maximise the use of their current skillset, could reduce the risks associated with adopting MDE.
- Catching repeated errors. Substantial research has been carried out in MDE in terms of automated support for identifying and repairing repeated errors in modelling and model management.
Publication
2014, First Workshop on Software Engineering Methods in Spreadsheets, July
