Tool Description

The rCOS Tool is to support component-based model driven software development using the rCOS (Refinement of Component and Object Systems) method. It provides an UML-like multi-view and multi-notational modeling and a design platform with the ability to add plug-ins.

The tool supports the rCOS method in model construction, analysis, verification and correctness preservable transformations; and it generate verifiable code from design models.

The special features of the tool include:

• In the requirements phase, it facilitates both the development process and the persistence of formal verification artifacts in the model: a use case is specified as a rCOS contracts of a components in multiple views, including a sequence diagram for the interaction protocol between the actors and the component, astate diagram for the reactive behaviour of the component, the UTP specification of the designs of the methods provided by the component, and a class diagram for definitions of the objects and data types. 
• In the design phase, use case components are designed by model transformations implementing proved OO refinement rules and design patterns, and then decomposed and composed into a component-based model of a logical design architecture.
• Consistency of the different views of the requirements models and interface compatibilities can be checked by using model checking tools like FDR.
• It supports the generation of skeletons Java sourcecode out of the whole design which results in an executable prototype.

The tool is implemented on top of the Eclipse platform using a UML profile, ensuring compatibility with other UML-based software engineering tools.