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2023
Conference article
Open Access
Rule-based NLP vs ChatGPT in ambiguity detection, a preliminary study
Fantechi A., Gnesi S., Semini L.
With the rapid advances of AI-based tools, the question of whether to use such tools or conventional rule-based tools often arises in many application domains. In this paper, we address this question when considering the issue of ambiguity in requirements documents. For this purpose, we consider GPT-3 that is the third-generation of the Generative Pretrained Transformer language model, developed by OpenAI and we compare its ambiguity detection capability with that of a publicly available rule-based NLP tool on a few example requirements documents.Source: REFSQ 2023 - 29th International Working Conference on Requirement Engineering: Foundation for Software Quality: Posters and Tools, Barcelona, Spain, 17-20/04/2023
Fantechi A., Gnesi S., Semini L.
With the rapid advances of AI-based tools, the question of whether to use such tools or conventional rule-based tools often arises in many application domains. In this paper, we address this question when considering the issue of ambiguity in requirements documents. For this purpose, we consider GPT-3 that is the third-generation of the Generative Pretrained Transformer language model, developed by OpenAI and we compare its ambiguity detection capability with that of a publicly available rule-based NLP tool on a few example requirements documents.Source: REFSQ 2023 - 29th International Working Conference on Requirement Engineering: Foundation for Software Quality: Posters and Tools, Barcelona, Spain, 17-20/04/2023
See at:
ceur-ws.org 
| ISTI Repository | CNR ExploRA
2023
Contribution to conference
Open Access
27th ACM International Systems and Software Product Line Conference (SPLC 2023). Proceedings - Volume A
Arcaini P., Ter Beek M. H., Perrouin G., Reinhartz-Berger I., Luaces M. R., Schwanninger C., Ali S., Varshosaz M., Gargantini A., Gnesi S., Lochau M., Semini L., Washizaki H.
Welcome to SPLC'23, the 27th ACM International Systems and Software Product Line Conference. Looking back to the previous SPLC issues, the conference has been established as a thriving ground for practitioners, researchers, and educators working in areas related to systems and software product lines. With the increasing size and complexity of software, efficiently supporting software processes becomes an extremely important task. SPLC'23 acted as a venue fostering knowledge exchange and learning about the state of the art in software product lines aswell as newpractices, trends, innovations, insights from industrial applications, and new challenges. SPLC'23 was held at Hitotsubashi Hall in Tokyo, Japan, from August 28 to September 1, 2023.Source: New York: ACM Press, 2023
DOI: 10.1145/3579027
Metrics:
Arcaini P., Ter Beek M. H., Perrouin G., Reinhartz-Berger I., Luaces M. R., Schwanninger C., Ali S., Varshosaz M., Gargantini A., Gnesi S., Lochau M., Semini L., Washizaki H.
Welcome to SPLC'23, the 27th ACM International Systems and Software Product Line Conference. Looking back to the previous SPLC issues, the conference has been established as a thriving ground for practitioners, researchers, and educators working in areas related to systems and software product lines. With the increasing size and complexity of software, efficiently supporting software processes becomes an extremely important task. SPLC'23 acted as a venue fostering knowledge exchange and learning about the state of the art in software product lines aswell as newpractices, trends, innovations, insights from industrial applications, and new challenges. SPLC'23 was held at Hitotsubashi Hall in Tokyo, Japan, from August 28 to September 1, 2023.Source: New York: ACM Press, 2023
DOI: 10.1145/3579027
Metrics:
See at:
dl.acm.org | ISTI Repository | CNR ExploRA
2022
Journal article
Embargo
VIBE: looking for Variability In amBiguous rEquirements
Fantechi A., Gnesi S., Semini L.
Variability is a characteristic of a software project and describes the fact that a system can be configured in different ways, obtaining different products (variants) from a common code base, accordingly to the software product line paradigm. This paradigm can be conveniently applied in all phases of the software process, starting from the definition and analysis of the requirements. We observe that often requirements contain ambiguities which can reveal an unintentional and implicit source of variability, that has to be detected. To this end we define VIBE, a tool supported process to identify variability aspects in requirements documents. VIBE is defined on the basis of a study of the different sources of ambiguity in natural language requirements documents that are useful to recognize potential variability, and is characterized by the use of a NLP tool customized to detect variability indicators. The tool to be used in VIBE is selected from a number of ambiguity detection tools, after a comparison of their customization features. The validation of VIBE is conducted using real-world requirements documents.Source: The Journal of systems and software 195 (2022). doi:10.1016/j.jss.2022.111540
DOI: 10.1016/j.jss.2022.111540
Metrics:
Fantechi A., Gnesi S., Semini L.
Variability is a characteristic of a software project and describes the fact that a system can be configured in different ways, obtaining different products (variants) from a common code base, accordingly to the software product line paradigm. This paradigm can be conveniently applied in all phases of the software process, starting from the definition and analysis of the requirements. We observe that often requirements contain ambiguities which can reveal an unintentional and implicit source of variability, that has to be detected. To this end we define VIBE, a tool supported process to identify variability aspects in requirements documents. VIBE is defined on the basis of a study of the different sources of ambiguity in natural language requirements documents that are useful to recognize potential variability, and is characterized by the use of a NLP tool customized to detect variability indicators. The tool to be used in VIBE is selected from a number of ambiguity detection tools, after a comparison of their customization features. The validation of VIBE is conducted using real-world requirements documents.Source: The Journal of systems and software 195 (2022). doi:10.1016/j.jss.2022.111540
DOI: 10.1016/j.jss.2022.111540
Metrics:
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Journal of Systems and Software 
| www.sciencedirect.com | CNR ExploRA
2020
Conference article
Open Access
An experience with the application of three nlp tools for the analysis of natural language requirements
Arrabito M., Fantechi A., Gnesi S., Semini L.
We report on the experience made with three Natural Language Processing analysis tools, aimed to compare their performance in detecting ambiguity and under-specification in requirements documents, and to compare them with respect to other qualities like learnability, usability, and efficiency. Two industrial tools, Requirements Scout and QVscribe, and an academic one, QuARS, are compared.Source: Quality of Information and Communications Technology 13th International Conference, QUATIC 2020, pp. 488–498, Faro, Portugal, 9-11/09/2020
DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-58793-2_39
Metrics:
Arrabito M., Fantechi A., Gnesi S., Semini L.
We report on the experience made with three Natural Language Processing analysis tools, aimed to compare their performance in detecting ambiguity and under-specification in requirements documents, and to compare them with respect to other qualities like learnability, usability, and efficiency. Two industrial tools, Requirements Scout and QVscribe, and an academic one, QuARS, are compared.Source: Quality of Information and Communications Technology 13th International Conference, QUATIC 2020, pp. 488–498, Faro, Portugal, 9-11/09/2020
DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-58793-2_39
Metrics:
See at:
link.springer.com | ISTI Repository | doi.org | CNR ExploRA
2019
Conference article
Open Access
Applying the QARS tool to detect variability
Fantechi A., Gnesi S., Semini L.
In this demo paper we present how to use the QuARS tool to extract variability information from requirements documents. The main functionality of QuARS is to detect ambiguity in Natural Language (NL) requirement documents. Ambiguity in requirements may be due to intentional or unintentional indication of possible variability; an ambiguity detecting tool can hence be useful to analysts and clients to figure the potential of a requirements document to describe a family of different products.Source: SPLC 2019 - 23rd International Systems and Software Product Line Conference, Paris, France, 09-13 September, 2019
DOI: 10.1145/3307630.3342388
Metrics:
Fantechi A., Gnesi S., Semini L.
In this demo paper we present how to use the QuARS tool to extract variability information from requirements documents. The main functionality of QuARS is to detect ambiguity in Natural Language (NL) requirement documents. Ambiguity in requirements may be due to intentional or unintentional indication of possible variability; an ambiguity detecting tool can hence be useful to analysts and clients to figure the potential of a requirements document to describe a family of different products.Source: SPLC 2019 - 23rd International Systems and Software Product Line Conference, Paris, France, 09-13 September, 2019
DOI: 10.1145/3307630.3342388
Metrics:
See at:
ISTI Repository | dl.acm.org | doi.org | CNR ExploRA
2019
Conference article
Open Access
From generic requirements to variability
Fantechi A., Gnesi S., Semini L.
This paper describes a research activity aiming at extracting variability information from ambiguities and vagueness of generic requirement documents, written in Natural Language. The proposed activity continues a research stream focusing on techniques to extract variability information from requirement documents. Here, we study the introduction of a process able to distinguish structural from functional variability, both in the extracted variability model and in the derived lower-level requirements. The problem is stated with reference to an example, a solution proposal is sketched together with related research questions, and a validation path is envisaged.Source: REFSQ-2019 - Workshops, Doctoral Symposium, Live Studies Track, and Poster Track, Essen, Germany, 18 March, 2019.
Fantechi A., Gnesi S., Semini L.
This paper describes a research activity aiming at extracting variability information from ambiguities and vagueness of generic requirement documents, written in Natural Language. The proposed activity continues a research stream focusing on techniques to extract variability information from requirement documents. Here, we study the introduction of a process able to distinguish structural from functional variability, both in the extracted variability model and in the derived lower-level requirements. The problem is stated with reference to an example, a solution proposal is sketched together with related research questions, and a validation path is envisaged.Source: REFSQ-2019 - Workshops, Doctoral Symposium, Live Studies Track, and Poster Track, Essen, Germany, 18 March, 2019.
See at:
ceur-ws.org | ISTI Repository | CNR ExploRA
2017
Journal article
Open Access
An experience in using machine learning for short-term predictions in smart transportation systems
Bacciu D., Carta A., Gnesi S., Semini L.
Bike-sharing systems (BSS) are a means of smart transportation with the benefit of a positive impact on urban mobility. To improve the satisfaction of a user of a BSS, it is useful to inform her/him on the status of the stations at run time, and indeed most of the current systems provide the information in terms of number of bicycles parked in each docking stations by means of services available via web. However, when the departure station is empty, the user could also be happy to know how the situation will evolve and, in particular, if a bike is going to arrive (and vice versa when the arrival station is full). To fulfill this expectation, we envisage services able to make a prediction and infer if there is in use a bike that could be, with high probability, returned at the station where she/he is waiting. The goal of this paper is hence to analyze the feasibility of these services. To this end, we put forward the idea of using Machine Learning methodologies, proposing and comparing different solutions. (C) 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Source: Journal of Logical and Algebraic Methods in Programming [online] 87 (2017): 52–66. doi:10.1016/j.jlamp.2016.11.002
DOI: 10.1016/j.jlamp.2016.11.002
Metrics:
Bacciu D., Carta A., Gnesi S., Semini L.
Bike-sharing systems (BSS) are a means of smart transportation with the benefit of a positive impact on urban mobility. To improve the satisfaction of a user of a BSS, it is useful to inform her/him on the status of the stations at run time, and indeed most of the current systems provide the information in terms of number of bicycles parked in each docking stations by means of services available via web. However, when the departure station is empty, the user could also be happy to know how the situation will evolve and, in particular, if a bike is going to arrive (and vice versa when the arrival station is full). To fulfill this expectation, we envisage services able to make a prediction and infer if there is in use a bike that could be, with high probability, returned at the station where she/he is waiting. The goal of this paper is hence to analyze the feasibility of these services. To this end, we put forward the idea of using Machine Learning methodologies, proposing and comparing different solutions. (C) 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Source: Journal of Logical and Algebraic Methods in Programming [online] 87 (2017): 52–66. doi:10.1016/j.jlamp.2016.11.002
DOI: 10.1016/j.jlamp.2016.11.002
Metrics:
See at:
Journal of Logical and Algebraic Methods in Programming | CNR ExploRA
2017
Conference article
Open Access
Optimizing Feature Interaction Detection
Fantechi A., Gnesi S., Semini L.
The feature interaction problem has been recognized as a general problem of software engineering. The problem appears when a combination of features interacts generating a conflict, exhibiting a behaviour that is unexpected for the features considered in isolation, possibly resulting in some critical safety violation. Verification of absence of critical feature interactions has been the subject of several studies. In this paper, we focus on functional interactions and we address the problem of the 3-way feature interactions, i.e. interactions that occur only when three features are all included in the system, but not when only two of them are. In this setting, we define a widely applicable definition framework, within which we show that a 3 (or greater)-way interaction is always caused by a 2-way interaction, i.e. that pairwise sampling is complete, hence reducing to quadratic the complexity of automatic detection of incorrect interaction.Source: Joint 22nd International Workshop on Formal Methods for Industrial Critical Systems - and - 17th International Workshop on Automated Verification of Critical Systems, FMICS-AVoCS 2017, pp. 201–216, Turin, Italy, 18-20/09/2017
DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-67113-0_13
Metrics:
Fantechi A., Gnesi S., Semini L.
The feature interaction problem has been recognized as a general problem of software engineering. The problem appears when a combination of features interacts generating a conflict, exhibiting a behaviour that is unexpected for the features considered in isolation, possibly resulting in some critical safety violation. Verification of absence of critical feature interactions has been the subject of several studies. In this paper, we focus on functional interactions and we address the problem of the 3-way feature interactions, i.e. interactions that occur only when three features are all included in the system, but not when only two of them are. In this setting, we define a widely applicable definition framework, within which we show that a 3 (or greater)-way interaction is always caused by a 2-way interaction, i.e. that pairwise sampling is complete, hence reducing to quadratic the complexity of automatic detection of incorrect interaction.Source: Joint 22nd International Workshop on Formal Methods for Industrial Critical Systems - and - 17th International Workshop on Automated Verification of Critical Systems, FMICS-AVoCS 2017, pp. 201–216, Turin, Italy, 18-20/09/2017
DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-67113-0_13
Metrics:
See at:
ISTI Repository | doi.org | link.springer.com | CNR ExploRA
2017
Conference article
Open Access
Ambiguity defects as variation points in requirements
Fantechi A., Gnesi S., Semini L.
Software requirements are generally expressed in Natural Language. NL is intrinsically ambiguous, and this is seen as a possible source of problems in the later interpretation of requirements. However, ambiguity or under-specification at requirements level can in some cases give an indication of possible variability, either in design choice, in implementation choices or configurability. Taking into account the results of previous analyses conducted on different requirements documents with NL analysis tools, we attempt a first classification of the forms of ambiguity that indicate variation points, and we indicate an approach to achieve automated support to variability elicitation.Source: Eleventh International Workshop on Variability Modelling of Software-intensive Systems, VaMoS 2017, pp. 13–19, Eindhoven, Netherlands, 1-3/02/2017
DOI: 10.1145/3023956.3023964
Metrics:
Fantechi A., Gnesi S., Semini L.
Software requirements are generally expressed in Natural Language. NL is intrinsically ambiguous, and this is seen as a possible source of problems in the later interpretation of requirements. However, ambiguity or under-specification at requirements level can in some cases give an indication of possible variability, either in design choice, in implementation choices or configurability. Taking into account the results of previous analyses conducted on different requirements documents with NL analysis tools, we attempt a first classification of the forms of ambiguity that indicate variation points, and we indicate an approach to achieve automated support to variability elicitation.Source: Eleventh International Workshop on Variability Modelling of Software-intensive Systems, VaMoS 2017, pp. 13–19, Eindhoven, Netherlands, 1-3/02/2017
DOI: 10.1145/3023956.3023964
Metrics:
See at:
ISTI Repository | dl.acm.org | doi.org | CNR ExploRA
2016
Journal article
Open Access
Adopting a Machine Learning Approach in the design of Smart Transportation Systems
Gnesi S., Bacciu D., Carta A., Semini L.
We have applied a machine learning approach to both implement and assess new services for the users of a bike-sharing system. The aim is to predict the destination station of a bike in use, given information on its pick up details.Source: ERCIM news (2016): 24–24.
Project(s): QUANTICOL
Gnesi S., Bacciu D., Carta A., Semini L.
We have applied a machine learning approach to both implement and assess new services for the users of a bike-sharing system. The aim is to predict the destination station of a bike in use, given information on its pick up details.Source: ERCIM news (2016): 24–24.
Project(s): QUANTICOL
See at:
ercim-news.ercim.eu | CNR ExploRA
1999
Report
Unknown
Formal description and validation of an interaction policy in an object-oriented framework
Fantechi A., Gnesi S., Semini L.
Formal methods are increasingly used to validate the design of software and hardware components of safety critical systems. We describe here a case study where a formal verification method was applied in practice. As a case study we have considered a safe interaction policy between communicating objects, the Multiple Levels of Integrity policy. This policy can be seen as a communication protocol that guarantees the integrity of sensible data. Formal specification is given using a process algebra, and validation is done following a model checking approach.Source: ISTI Technical reports, pp.1–24, 1999
Fantechi A., Gnesi S., Semini L.
Formal methods are increasingly used to validate the design of software and hardware components of safety critical systems. We describe here a case study where a formal verification method was applied in practice. As a case study we have considered a safe interaction policy between communicating objects, the Multiple Levels of Integrity policy. This policy can be seen as a communication protocol that guarantees the integrity of sensible data. Formal specification is given using a process algebra, and validation is done following a model checking approach.Source: ISTI Technical reports, pp.1–24, 1999
See at: CNR ExploRA
1999
Conference article
Unknown
Implementation of coordination primitives in a mobile architecture
Gnesi S., Semini L.
Coordination languages based on multiple tuple spaces and asynchronous communication provide an high level description formalism which is adequate to model applications in a mobile environment. These languages have the advantage, with respect to most languages to describe mobile systems, of permitting to describe the applications without considering low level issues like subsystems location or communication failures. To support this claim we formally show how simple coordination primitives can be implemented when the underlying architecture is a mobile one. Finally, we prove that our implementation model is correct with respect to the coordination language semantics.Source: International Conference on Parallel and Distributed Processing Techniques and Applications: PDPTA'99., pp. 1012–1018, Las Vegas, USA, June 28 - July 1 1999
Gnesi S., Semini L.
Coordination languages based on multiple tuple spaces and asynchronous communication provide an high level description formalism which is adequate to model applications in a mobile environment. These languages have the advantage, with respect to most languages to describe mobile systems, of permitting to describe the applications without considering low level issues like subsystems location or communication failures. To support this claim we formally show how simple coordination primitives can be implemented when the underlying architecture is a mobile one. Finally, we prove that our implementation model is correct with respect to the coordination language semantics.Source: International Conference on Parallel and Distributed Processing Techniques and Applications: PDPTA'99., pp. 1012–1018, Las Vegas, USA, June 28 - July 1 1999
See at: CNR ExploRA
1999
Contribution to book
Restricted
Formal description and validation for an integrity policy supporting multiple levels of criticality
Fantechi A., Gnesi S., Semini L.
Formal methods are increasingly used to validate the design of softwar and hardware components of safety critical system. In particular formal validation is needed for those mechanism which support the overall dependability of the systems. Inside the GUARDS project, a novel integrity mechanism has been proposed to implement the Multiple Levels of Criticality model within an object-oriented framework. In this paper we present the application of model checking techniques to the formal validation of this integrity level mechanism.Source: Dependable Computing for Critical Applications 7: DCCA-7, edited by Weinstock C.B., Rushby J., pp. 129–146, 1999
DOI: 10.1109/dcfts.1999.814293
Metrics:
Fantechi A., Gnesi S., Semini L.
Formal methods are increasingly used to validate the design of softwar and hardware components of safety critical system. In particular formal validation is needed for those mechanism which support the overall dependability of the systems. Inside the GUARDS project, a novel integrity mechanism has been proposed to implement the Multiple Levels of Criticality model within an object-oriented framework. In this paper we present the application of model checking techniques to the formal validation of this integrity level mechanism.Source: Dependable Computing for Critical Applications 7: DCCA-7, edited by Weinstock C.B., Rushby J., pp. 129–146, 1999
DOI: 10.1109/dcfts.1999.814293
Metrics:
See at:
doi.org | www.scopus.com | CNR ExploRA
1999
Journal article
Unknown
Modelling mobile applications
Gnesi S., Semini L.
There has been growing interest in wide-area distributed applications in recent years. A key concept for structuring such applications is represented by mobile agents, units of executing code that can migrate between sites.Source: ERCIM news 36 (1999): 27–28.
Gnesi S., Semini L.
There has been growing interest in wide-area distributed applications in recent years. A key concept for structuring such applications is represented by mobile agents, units of executing code that can migrate between sites.Source: ERCIM news 36 (1999): 27–28.
See at: CNR ExploRA