Dr Mark Dixon

This paper describes a mechanism which allows multiple views of underlying electronic resource structures to be created. The aim is to address problems faced by users when trying to navigate file system structures defined by third parties. A framework has been developed which supports the definition and evaluation of an appropriate solution. The framework includes a query language that allows for the construction of user defined views using a declarative style grammar. Several deployment architectures, which support practical application of the proposed framework, have been developed and form the basis of an initial implementation.

This synopsis provides a description of a CASE Environment used within the education of software engineers.

This paper discusses the research and development of a modeling tool that provides a graphical approach to the definition, validation and generation of XML schemas. Although XML has had a ubiquitous web presence for a number of years the strength of its underlying validation framework is often not leveraged to its maximum potential. Additionally the design process followed when developing XML data formats is often rather ad-hoc and driven by technical requirements of the application rather than a conceptual level analysis of the problem domain. This work contributes to research knowledge by proposing and validating a mechanism for allowing non-programmers to easily visualise and design the rules to which XML documents should comply. The use of an underlying meta-case platform provides a unique opportunity to allow highly customisable support and automatic code generation for any number of schema definition languages, thus providing a test-bed for future research activities.

Computer Game for the Acorn Archimedes.

The ever expanding number of environments in which computer systems are being used has led to the evolution of numerous development languages, tools and techniques. This paper discusses a predominantly graphical approach to software development that is deployment platform agnostic. The aim is to provide engineers with an approach to development that is general enough to be applied across the multitude of problem domains. By using a purely component based approach, in which target platform specifics are hidden from the language design, it has become possible to build a set of interrelated tools which allow for the development, manipulation and exchange of implementation solutions.

This work examines how a predominantly graphical approach to software development, that was designed to be deployment platform agnostic, can be used to target embedded software systems. The general aim of the approach was to provide engineers with a development method that was general enough to be applied across a multitude of problem domains. The development technique employs a component centric approach, in which target platform specifics are hidden from the language design. Deployment specific mapping tools are then used to target each type of system. Embedded software systems however are probably the most demanding type of target system, due to limited resources and lack of software infrastructure support. This paper describes a method of mapping an example component based design to a target embedded system. - See more at: http://dl4.globalstf.org/?wpsc-product=generating-generating-generating-embedded-systems-embedded-systems-embedded-systems-embedded-systems-embedded-systems-embedded-systems-software-software-software-using-a-component-component-component#more-4206

Reuse during development of software systems has long been touted as a mechanism of reducing costs, increasing quality and speeding up development. At the same time the ability to develop systems using a predominantly graphical approach has long been promised but has never really delivered. The described development approach aims to address both of these issues, by providing a development framework designed to maximize reuse, while simplifying the development effort. A secondary aim, to include mechanisms that implicitly offer support for contemporary software development processes, is also addressed by the proposed development framework.

A single computer aided software engineering (CASE) environment, which has been specifically developed for teaching and learning purposes is discussed. The environment is very flexible and can be used to teach various modelling techniques across all levels from year one undergraduate to postgraduate. Students can therefore be introduced to a single, simple to use environment which they can use throughout the entirety of their studies. This approach allows teaching and learning activities to concentrate on the techniques being taught.

Continuous Delivery is aimed at the frequent delivery of good quality software in a speedy, reliable and efficient fashion – with strong emphasis on automation and team collaboration. However, even with this new paradigm, repeatability of project outcome is still not guaranteed: project performance varies due to the various interacting and inter-related factors in the Continuous Delivery 'system'. This paper presents results from the investigation of various factors, in particular agile practices, on the quality of the developed software in the Continuous Delivery process. Results show that customer involvement and the cognitive ability of the QA have the most significant individual effects on the quality of software in continuous delivery.

The popularization of agile development as well as the recent prevalence of virtualization and cloud computing has revolutionized the software delivery process- making it faster and affordable for businesses to release their software continuously. Hence, the need for a reliable and predictable delivery process for software applications. The aim of this paper is to develop a System Dynamics (SD) model to achieve a repetitive, risk-free and effortless Continuous Delivery process to reduce the perils of delayed delivery, delivery cost overrun and poor quality delivered software. © 2013 IEEE.

There is a growing need for, often non-technical, organisations to analyse valuable information stored within often separate social networking systems (SNSs). Open architectures provide programmatic access to most SNSs permitting the creation of applications which may leverage information, for example statistics regarding the impact of marketing campaigns or new product or service announcements. This type of information is necessary for the development of sound evidence based social media strategies. Software products are available which provide this type of information, though for organisations to be able to tailor these to their specific needs, solutions are often very expensive. One solution would be for organisations to have the facility to build their own systems. This paper describes a research programme that will investigate developing, amending or extending a modelling notation, capable of being used by non-technical people for the development of systems to extract and analyse social networking data. © Springer International Publishing 2013.

DScent was a joint project between five UK universities combining research theories in the disciplines of computational inference, forensic psychology and expert decision-making in the area of counter-terrorism. This document discusses the work carried out by Leeds Metropolitan University which covers the research, design and development work of an investigator support system in the area of deception using artificial intelligence. For the purposes of data generation along with system and hypothesis testing the project team devised two closed world games, the Cutting Corners Board Game and the Location Based Game. DScentTrail presents the investigator with a ‘scent trail’ of a suspect’s behaviour over time, allowing the investigator to present multiple challenges to a suspect from which they may prove the suspect guilty outright or receive cognitive or emotional clues of deception (Ekman 2002; Ekman & Frank 1993; Ekman & Yuille 1989; Hocking & Leathers 1980; Knapp & Comadena 1979). A scent trail is a collection of ordered, relevant behavioural information over time for a suspect. There are links into a neural network, which attempts to identify deceptive behavioural patterns of individuals. Preliminary work was carried out on a behavioural based AI module which would work separately alongside the neural network, with both identifying deception before integrating their results to update DScentTrail. Unfortunately the data that was necessary to design such a system was not provided and therefore, this section of research only reached its preliminary stages. To date research has shown that there are no specific patterns of deceptive behaviour that are consistent in all people, across all situations (Zuckerman 1981). DScentTrail is a decision support system, incorporating artificial intelligence (AI), which is intended to be used by investigators and attempts to find ways around the problem stated by Zuckerman above.

The DScentTrail System has been created to support and demonstrate research theories in the joint disciplines of computational inference, forensic psychology and expert decision-making in the area of counter-terrorism. DScentTrail is a decision support system, incorporating artificial intelligence, and is intended to be used by investigators. The investigator is presented with a visual representation of a suspect‟s behaviour over time, allowing them to present multiple challenges from which they may prove the suspect guilty outright or receive cognitive or emotional clues of deception. There are links into a neural network, which attempts to identify deceptive behaviour of individuals; the results are fed back into DScentTrail hence giving further enrichment to the information available to the investigator.

This article presents findings concerned with the use of neural networks in the identification of deceptive behaviour. A game designed by psychologists and criminologists was used for the generation of data used to test the appropriateness of different AI techniques in the quest for counter-terrorism. A feed forward back propagation network was developed and subsequent neural network experiments showed on average a 60% success rate and at best a 68% success rate for correctly identifying deceptive behaviour. These figures indicate that, as part of an investigator support system, a neural network would be a valuable tool in the identification of terrorists prior to an attack. © Springer-Verlag London Limited 2011.