Systems and methods for generating message sequence diagrams from graphical programs

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9547423-B1
Application number	US-201414513978-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Oct 14, 2014
Priority date	May 28, 2010
Publication date	Jan 17, 2017
Grant date	Jan 17, 2017

Abstract

A system and method automatically generating one or more message view windows or panes based on an analysis of the execution behavior of a model, such as a computer-generated, executable graphical model. A model analyzer examines execution instructions including schedules generated for the model and the sending and receiving of messages by model components or elements. An auto diagram builder generates the one or more message view windows that includes graphical affordances representing at least some of the messages. The messages may be presented in the one or more message view windows in the order of the occurrence of the messages during execution of the model.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
storing in a memory an executable graphical model including a plurality of components including hierarchically arranged child components disposed within parent components, the child components configured to send and receive messages during execution of the graphical model in an order, the messages
persist for determined time intervals between a model execution start time and a model execution end time, and
have payloads that remain fixed for a given send-receive interaction;

identifying, by a processor coupled to the memory:
the child components configured to send and receive messages, and
the determined time intervals of the messages;

automatically generating, by the processor, a message view window for the graphical model, the message view window including:
an execution time scale corresponding to a time of execution of the graphical model,
parent lifelines corresponding to the parent components, the parent lifelines extending across the execution time scale, and
a plurality of first graphical affordances associated with the parent lifelines, the plurality of first graphical affordances representing the messages, the plurality of first graphical affordances arranged in the order of the messages; and

expanding a given parent lifeline corresponding to a given parent component of the executable graphical model to show child lifelines corresponding to at least two of the child components of the given parent component.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the expanding occurs in response to user interaction with the message view window.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
moving, in response to user interaction with the message view window, at least one of the parent lifelines from a first location on the message view window to a second location on the message view window, where the plurality of first graphical affordances remain associated with the at least one of the parent lifelines moved to the second location.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
hiding at least one of the parent lifelines from view on the message view window; and
showing, on the message view window, the at least one of the parent lifelines that had been hidden.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein one or more of the plurality of first graphical affordances extend between a pair of parent or child lifelines.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of first graphical affordances are arrows including heads and tails, and the heads and tails of at least two of the arrows are located at the parent and child lifelines.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the message view window includes one or more gutter areas configured to represent parent or child components for which no lifelines are included, and
a head or a tail of a first arrow is located at the one or more gutter areas.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
receiving a designation of a given one of the first graphical affordances corresponding to a particular one of the messages; and
in response to the receiving, providing a widget configured to present information regarding the particular one of the messages.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the time scale is organized into a plurality of time bands that correspond to time periods between the execution start time and the execution end time, the method further comprising:
receiving a designation of a given one of the plurality of time bands; and
in response to the receiving, providing finer execution time granularity within the given one of the plurality of time bands.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the designation of the given one of the plurality of time bands is a mouse hover operation over the given one of the plurality of time bands.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
providing an animated view of the execution of the graphical model,
where the message view window is a live image configured to update in sync with the animated view of the execution of the graphical model.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the message view window is adjacent to the animated view of the execution of the graphical model.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the graphical model includes a graphical object that represents the message view window, the method further comprising:
receiving a designation of the graphical object; and
in response to receiving the designation of the graphical object, opening the message view window on a display.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the child components of the executable graphical model are
state-based components,
time-based components,
event-based components,
dataflow-based components,
control flow-based components, or
dataflow and control flow-based components.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
collapsing the given parent lifeline corresponding to the given parent component of the executable graphical model to hide the child lifelines corresponding to the at least two of the child components of the given parent component.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the collapsing is performed in response to receiving a user command.

17. A method comprising:
storing in a memory an executable graphical model including a plurality of state-based components configured to send and receive messages during execution of the graphical model in an order, the messages
persist for determined time intervals between a model execution start time and a model execution end time, and
have payloads that remain fixed for a given send-receive interaction;

identifying, by a processor coupled to the memory:
the components configured to send and receive messages, and

automatically generating, by the processor, a message view window for the graphical model, the message view window including:
an execution time scale corresponding to a time of execution of the graphical model,
lifelines corresponding to at least two of the state-based components, the lifelines extending across the execution time scale,
a plurality of first graphical affordances associated with the lifelines, the plurality of first graphical affordances representing the messages, the plurality of first graphical affordances arranged in the order of the messages, and
a plurality of second graphical affordances indicating, for at least one of the plurality of state-based components, an entry into a first state and an exit from the first state,

wherein at least one of the plurality of second graphical affordances identifies a name of the first state.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the plurality of second graphical affordances are disposed along a first lifeline assigned to the at least one of the plurality of state-based components.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the order is
a temporal order,
an execution order, or
a temporal and an execution order.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the executable graphical model executes over a plurality of simulation time steps, and the order includes a temporal order based on the plurality of time steps.

21. The method of claim 17 wherein a group of the plurality of first graphical affordances represent messages occurring between the entry into the first state and the exit from the first state, the method further comprising:
collapsing the plurality of second graphical affordances that indicate the entry into the first state and the exit from the first state; and
hiding the group of the plurality of first graphical affordances that represent m

Assignees

• Mathworks Inc

Inventors

• Moore Alan J
• Mestchian Ebrahim Mehran
• Mosterman Pieter J

Classifications

• G06F8/10

  Requirements analysis; Specification techniques · CPC title

• G06F8/34

  Graphical or visual programming · CPC title

• G06F2119/12

  Timing analysis or timing optimisation · CPC title

• G06F9/546 Primary

  Message passing systems or structures, e.g. queues · CPC title

• G06F30/20

  Design optimisation, verification or simulation (optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30) · CPC title