Analysing the cognitive effectiveness of the WebML visual notation

DAVID GRANADA; JUAN MANUEL VARA; MARCO BRAMBILLA; VERÓNICA A. BOLLATI; ESPERANZA MARCOS MARTINEZ

SOFTWARE AND SYSTEMS MODELING

SPRINGER HEIDELBERG

Lugar: HEIDELBERG; Año: 2017 vol. 16 p. 195 - 227

1619-1366

WebML is a domain-specific language used todesign complex data-intensiveWeb applications at a concep-tual level. As WebML was devised to support design tasks,the need to define a visual notation for the language wasidentified from the very beginning. Each WebML elementis consequently associated with a separate graphical symbolwhich was mainly defined with the idea of providing sim-ple and expressive modelling artefacts rather than by adopt-ing a rigorous scientific approach. As a result, the graphicalmodels defined withWebML may sometimes prevent propercommunication fromtaking place between the various stake-holders. In fact, this is a common issue for most of the exist-ing model-based proposals that have emerged during the lastfew years under the umbrella of model-driven engineering.In order to illustrate this issue and foster in using a scientificbasis to design, evaluate, improve and compare visual nota-tions, this paper analysesWebML according to a set of solidprinciples, based on the theoretical and empirical evidenceconcerning the cognitive effectiveness of visual notations. As aresult,wehaveidentifiedasetofpossibleimprovements,some of which have been verified by an empirical study.Furthermore, a number of findings, experiences and lessonslearnt on the assessment of visual notations are presented.