Test-Driven Conceptual Modelling: evaluation through a case study

Abstract

The purpose of this project is to showcase the workcycle and feasibility of Test-Driven Conceptual Modelling (TDCM) on a real-sized system. TDCM is a novel methodology to develop conceptual schemas which can be understood as belonging to the wider eXtreme Programming (XP) family called Test-Driven Development (TDD). Its aim is to iteratively develop conceptual schemas through automated testing at the conceptual level.In order to achieve its goal, this project is built upon the state of the art of conceptual schema testing, as seen in recent publications. It has been carried out in accordance with the design-science research model to ensure both rigour and relevance. We contribute to TDCM experimentation by applying it to a case study. In particular, this project focus on the development, by reverse engineering, of the conceptual schema of Remember the Milk (RTM), a popular system that supports the management of tasks. As a complementary goal, some suggestions to improve the RTM system will be presented thanks to the knowledge gathered during the process. This document collects the result of this experience.Our findings confirm that this methodology is promising, because the resultant conceptual's schema validation and high semantic quality paid off its relatively small additional development efforts.