Modeling Executable Specifications with X-Spec and Water

Abstract

X-Spectrade is a business modeling tool and executable specification language that enables business people to describing requirements in their domain language. The specification, or model, can be shown in multiple editable views that use English and pictures. The specification is directly executed to deliver a fully-functional user interface for rich Internet applications. The model is available at run-time, since no code is generated. The model enforces the clean separation of user interface, controller logic, and services. X-Spec is built on the Water language. Watertrade is an open dynamic, object-based language that uses ConciseXMLtrade syntax. It is a multi-paradigm language that can represent many different modeling styles and forms of knowledge representation. Water can treat code as data, and is a meta-language for creating domain specific models. Water integrates many features of RDF and OWL. The Water language may be expressed in graphical views as well as ConciseXML.