Goto

Collaborating Authors

 class diagram


Generating Software Architecture Description from Source Code using Reverse Engineering and Large Language Model

Hatahet, Ahmad, Knieke, Christoph, Rausch, Andreas

arXiv.org Artificial Intelligence

Software Architecture Descriptions (SADs) are essential for managing the inherent complexity of modern software systems. They enable high-level architectural reasoning, guide design decisions, and facilitate effective communication among diverse stakeholders. However, in practice, SADs are often missing, outdated, or poorly aligned with the system's actual implementation. Consequently, developers are compelled to derive architectural insights directly from source code-a time-intensive process that increases cognitive load, slows new developer onboarding, and contributes to the gradual degradation of clarity over the system's lifetime. To address these issues, we propose a semi-automated generation of SADs from source code by integrating reverse engineering (RE) techniques with a Large Language Model (LLM). Our approach recovers both static and behavioral architectural views by extracting a comprehensive component diagram, filtering architecturally significant elements (core components) via prompt engineering, and generating state machine diagrams to model component behavior based on underlying code logic with few-shots prompting. This resulting views representation offer a scalable and maintainable alternative to traditional manual architectural documentation. This methodology, demonstrated using C++ examples, highlights the potent capability of LLMs to: 1) abstract the component diagram, thereby reducing the reliance on human expert involvement, and 2) accurately represent complex software behaviors, especially when enriched with domain-specific knowledge through few-shot prompting. These findings suggest a viable path toward significantly reducing manual effort while enhancing system understanding and long-term maintainability.


UML-CoT: Structured Reasoning and Planning with Unified Modeling Language for Robotic Room Cleaning

Chen, Hongyu, Wang, Guangrun

arXiv.org Artificial Intelligence

Chain-of-Thought (CoT) prompting improves reasoning in large language models (LLMs), but its reliance on unstructured text limits interpretability and executability in embodied tasks. Prior work has explored structured CoTs using scene or logic graphs, yet these remain fundamentally limited: they model only low-order relations, lack constructs like inheritance or behavioral abstraction, and provide no standardized semantics for sequential or conditional planning. We propose UML-CoT, a structured reasoning and planning framework that leverages Unified Modeling Language (UML) to generate symbolic CoTs and executable action plans. UML class diagrams capture compositional object semantics, while activity diagrams model procedural control flow. Our three-stage training pipeline combines supervised fine-tuning with Group Relative Policy Optimization (GRPO), including reward learning from answer-only data. We evaluate UML-CoT on MRoom-30k, a new benchmark of cluttered room-cleaning scenarios. UML-CoT outperforms unstructured CoTs in interpretability, planning coherence, and execution success, highlighting UML as a more expressive and actionable structured reasoning formalism.


Speeding up design and making to reduce time-to-project and time-to-market: an AI-Enhanced approach in engineering education

Adorni, Giovanni, Grosso, Daniele

arXiv.org Artificial Intelligence

This paper explores the integration of AI tools, such as ChatGPT and GitHub Copilot, in the Software Architecture for Embedded Systems course. AI-supported workflows enabled students to rapidly prototype complex projects, emphasizing real-world applications like SLAM robotics. Results demon-started enhanced problem-solving, faster development, and more sophisticated outcomes, with AI augmenting but not replacing human decision-making.


The importance of visual modelling languages in generative software engineering

Rossi, Roberto

arXiv.org Artificial Intelligence

Multimodal GPTs represent a watershed in the interplay between Software Engineering and Generative Artificial Intelligence. GPT-4 accepts image and text inputs, rather than simply natural language. We investigate relevant use cases stemming from these enhanced capabilities of GPT-4. To the best of our knowledge, no other work has investigated similar use cases involving Software Engineering tasks carried out via multimodal GPTs prompted with a mix of diagrams and natural language.


Assessing GPT-4-Vision's Capabilities in UML-Based Code Generation

Antal, Gábor, Vozár, Richárd, Ferenc, Rudolf

arXiv.org Artificial Intelligence

The emergence of advanced neural networks has opened up new ways in automated code generation from conceptual models, promising to enhance software development processes. This paper presents a preliminary evaluation of GPT-4-Vision, a state-of-the-art deep learning model, and its capabilities in transforming Unified Modeling Language (UML) class diagrams into fully operating Java class files. In our study, we used exported images of 18 class diagrams comprising 10 single-class and 8 multi-class diagrams. We used 3 different prompts for each input, and we manually evaluated the results. We created a scoring system in which we scored the occurrence of elements found in the diagram within the source code. On average, the model was able to generate source code for 88% of the elements shown in the diagrams. Our results indicate that GPT-4-Vision exhibits proficiency in handling single-class UML diagrams, successfully transforming them into syntactically correct class files. However, for multi-class UML diagrams, the model's performance is weaker compared to single-class diagrams. In summary, further investigations are necessary to exploit the model's potential completely.


Coding by Design: GPT-4 empowers Agile Model Driven Development

Sadik, Ahmed R., Brulin, Sebastian, Olhofer, Markus

arXiv.org Artificial Intelligence

Generating code from a natural language using Large Language Models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT, seems groundbreaking. Yet, with more extensive use, it's evident that this approach has its own limitations. The inherent ambiguity of natural language presents challenges for complex software designs. Accordingly, our research offers an Agile Model-Driven Development (MDD) approach that enhances code auto-generation using OpenAI's GPT-4. Our work emphasizes "Agility" as a significant contribution to the current MDD method, particularly when the model undergoes changes or needs deployment in a different programming language. Thus, we present a case-study showcasing a multi-agent simulation system of an Unmanned Vehicle Fleet. In the first and second layer of our approach, we constructed a textual representation of the case-study using Unified Model Language (UML) diagrams. In the next layer, we introduced two sets of constraints that minimize model ambiguity. Object Constraints Language (OCL) is applied to fine-tune the code constructions details, while FIPA ontology is used to shape communication semantics and protocols. Ultimately, leveraging GPT-4, our last layer auto-generates code in both Java and Python. The Java code is deployed within the JADE framework, while the Python code is deployed in PADE framework. Concluding our research, we engaged in a comprehensive evaluation of the generated code. From a behavioural standpoint, the auto-generated code aligned perfectly with the expected UML sequence diagram. Structurally, we compared the complexity of code derived from UML diagrams constrained solely by OCL to that influenced by both OCL and FIPA-ontology. Results indicate that ontology-constrained model produce inherently more intricate code, but it remains manageable and low-risk for further testing and maintenance.


Towards using Few-Shot Prompt Learning for Automating Model Completion

Chaaben, Meriem Ben, Burgueño, Lola, Sahraoui, Houari

arXiv.org Artificial Intelligence

We propose a simple yet a novel approach to improve completion in domain modeling activities. Our approach exploits the power of large language models by using few-shot prompt learning without the need to train or fine-tune those models with large datasets that are scarce in this field. We implemented our approach and tested it on the completion of static and dynamic domain diagrams. Our initial evaluation shows that such an approach is effective and can be integrated in different ways during the modeling activities.


Sketch2FullStack: Generating Skeleton Code of Full Stack Website and Application from Sketch using Deep Learning and Computer Vision

Barua, Somoy Subandhu, Zulkarnain, Imam Mohammad, Roy, Abhishek, Alam, Md. Golam Rabiul, Uddin, Md Zia

arXiv.org Artificial Intelligence

For a full-stack web or app development, it requires a software firm or more specifically a team of experienced developers to contribute a large portion of their time and resources to design the website and then convert it to code. As a result, the efficiency of the development team is significantly reduced when it comes to converting UI wireframes and database schemas into an actual working system. It would save valuable resources and fasten the overall workflow if the clients or developers can automate this process of converting the pre-made full-stack website design to get a partially working if not fully working code. In this paper, we present a novel approach of generating the skeleton code from sketched images using Deep Learning and Computer Vision approaches. The dataset for training are first-hand sketched images of low fidelity wireframes, database schemas and class diagrams. The approach consists of three parts. First, the front-end or UI elements detection and extraction from custom-made UI wireframes. Second, individual database table creation from schema designs and lastly, creating a class file from class diagrams.


A Knowledge-driven Business Process Analysis Canvas

Missikoff, Michele

arXiv.org Artificial Intelligence

Business process (BP) analysis represents a first key phase of information system development. It consists in the gathering of domain knowledge and its organization to be later used in the software development, and beyond (e.g., for Business Process Reengineering). The quality of the developed information system largely depends on how the BP analysis has been carried out and the quality of the produced requirement specification documents. Despite the fact that the issue is on the table for decades, business process analysis is still a critical phase of information systems development. One promising strategy is an early and more important involvement of business experts in the BP analysis. This paper presents a methodology that aims at an early involvement of business experts while providing a formal grounding that guarantees the quality of the produced specifications. To this end, we propose the Business Process Analysis Canvas, a knowledge framework organized in eight knowledge sections aimed at supporting the business expert in carrying out the analysis, eventually yielding a BP analysis Ontology.


Semantic based model of Conceptual Work Products for formal verification of complex interactive systems

Madkour, Mohcine, Butler, Keith, Mercer, Eric, Bahrami, Ali, Tao, Cui

arXiv.org Machine Learning

Many clinical workflows depend on interactive computer systems for highly technical, conceptual work products, such as diagnoses, treatment plans, care coordination, and case management. We describe an automatic logic reasoner to verify objective specifications for these highly technical, but abstract, work products that are essential to care. The conceptual work products specifications serve as a fundamental output requirement, which must be clearly stated, correct and solvable. There is strategic importance for such specifications because, in turn, they enable system model checking to verify that machine functions taken with user procedures are actually able to achieve these abstract products. We chose case management of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) outpatients as our use case for its challenging complexity. As a first step, we illustrate how graphical class and state diagrams from UML can be developed and critiqued with subject matter experts to serve as specifications of the conceptual work product of case management. A key feature is that the specification must be declarative and thus independent of any process or technology. Our Work Domain Ontology with tools from Semantic Web is needed to translate UML class and state diagrams for verification of solvability with automatic reasoning. The solvable model will then be ready for subsequent use with model checking on the system of human procedures and machine functions. We used the expressive rule language SPARQL Inferencing Notation (SPIN) to develop formal representations of the UML class diagram, the state machine, and their interactions. Using SPIN, we proved the consistency of the interactions of static and dynamic concepts. We discussed how the new SPIN rule engine could be incorporated in the Object Management Group (OMG) Ontology Definition Metamodel (ODM)