A proposal of an ontology-based methodological framework for multi-platform mobile applications development

doctoral thesis

• Title (croatian): Prijedlog ontološki utemeljenog metodološkog okvira za razvoj više-platformskih mobilnih aplikacija
• Author: Zlatko Stapić; MBZ: 291843
• Mentor: Vjeran Strahonja (mentor); MBZ: 095553
• Mentor: Luis de Marcos Ortega (sumentor); strani drzavljanin: Nije dostupno
• Committee member: Neven Vrček (predsjednik povjerenstva); MBZ: 218614
• Committee member: José María Gutiérrez Martínez (član povjerenstva); strani drzavljanin: Nije dostupno
• Committee member: Manuel Ortega Cantero (član povjerenstva); strani drzavljanin: Nije dostupno
• Committee member: María José Escalona Cuaresma (član povjerenstva); strani drzavljanin: Nije dostupno
• Committee member: Ricardo Colomo Palacios (član povjerenstva); strani drzavljanin: Nije dostupno
• Granter: University of Zagreb; Faculty of Organization and Informatics; Varaždin
• Granter: Spain: University of Alcalá; (Spain: Computer Science Department); Madrid
• Defense date and country: 2014-01-21, Spain
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: SOCIAL SCIENCES; Information and Communication Sciences
• Universal decimal classification (UDC): 004 - Computer science and technology. Computing. Data processing

Abstract

Software development teams are faced with the lack of interoperability during the development of mobile applications for two or more target platforms. The development for second and every other platform means a new project with a need to repeat almost all the phases defined by the chosen methodology but with a narrow possibility of reuse of the already defined artifacts. The existing efforts of professional and scientific community to solve this problem have a similar approach (code once, run everywhere) with similar advantages and drawbacks. Thus, this dissertation aims to propose a different solution and is concerned with: (1) analyzing the methodologies suitable for mobile applications development, (2) observing the implementation of prototype application in order to define artifacts that are created during the development process for two target platforms, (3) semantic description of artifacts and their meaning, and (4) defining unique ontological definition as a base for methodological interoperability. The results of a systematic literature review performed on 6761 primary studies, show that current state-of-the-art literature brings only 22 development methodologies and 7 development approaches which can be identified as eligible for multi-platform mobile applications development. Among these, Mobile-D methodology accompanied with Test Driven Development was chosen and used in the observed development processes for Android and Windows Phone platforms. Total of 71 artifacts were identified and the artifacts reusability level when developing for second target platform was 66.00%. In the last research phase, the artifacts for both platforms were semantically described into a single ontological description comprising 213 classes, 14 object properties and 2213 axioms defined in ALCRIF DL expression sub-language. Having this ontology proved as correct and valid, flexible, reusable and extensible we created the basis for development of an information system to guide the development teams in a more efficient and interoperable process of multiplatform mobile applications development.

Abstract (croatian)

Razvojni timovi susreću se s problemom neinteroperabilnosti prilikom razvoja aplikacija za dvije ili više mobilnih platformi. Razvoj aplikacije za drugu i svaku sljedeću platformu znači novi projekt u kojem je potrebno ponovno provesti većinu faza definiranih odabranom metodikom razvoja, pri čemu se kreirani artefakti teško ili uopće ponovno ne koriste. Napori profesionalne i znanstvene zajednice za rješenjem ovog problema imaju sličan pristup (kodiraj jednom, koristi svugdje), slične prednosti, ali i zajedničke nedostatke. Stoga ova disertacija navedenom problemu pristupa na nov način i bavi se: (1) analiziranjem metodika pogodnih za razvoj mobilnih aplikacija, (2) promatranjem razvoja prototipne aplikacije u svrhu definiranja artefakata koji nastaju pri razvoju mobilne aplikacije za dvije ciljane platforme, (3) semantičkim opisivanjem definiranih artefakata i njihovih značenja, te (4) definiranjem jedinstvene ontološke definicije kao osnove za metodološku interoperabilnost. Rezultati sustavnog pregleda literature provedenog nad 6761 radom pokazali su da se trenutno u literaturi spominju 22 metodike i 7 pristupa koji su pogodni za razvoj više-platformskih mobilnih aplikacija. Između identificiranih metodika odabrani su Mobile-D metodika i pristup razvoju vođen testiranjem, koji su korišteni pri implementaciji prototipnog rješenja za Android i Windows Phone platformu. Ukupno je identificiran 71 artefakt pri čemu je ponovna iskoristivost artefakata pri razvoju za drugu platformu bila 66.00%. U posljednjoj su fazi istraživanja artefakti semantički opisani u zajedničku ontološku definiciju koja u konačnici sadrži 213 klasa, 14 objektnih svojstava i 2213 aksioma definiranih pomodu ALCRIF-DL jezika izraza. U radu je dokazano da je ontologija valjana, fleksibilna, ponovno iskoristiva i nadogradiva, čime je kreirana osnova za razvoj informacijskog sustava koji bi vodio razvojne timove u efikasnijem i bolje interoperabilnom procesu razvoja više-platformskih mobilnih aplikacija.

• Keywords: methodology; mobile; multi-platform; development; ontology
• Keywords (croatian): metodika; razvoj više-platformskih mobilnih aplikacija; ontologija
• Language: english
• URN:NBN: urn:nbn:hr:211:752249
• Study programme: Title: Postgraduate doctoral study in Information Science; Study programme type: university; Study level: postgraduate; Academic / professional title: doktor/doktorica znanosti, područje društvenih znanosti, polje informacijske i komunikacijske znanosti (doktor/doktorica znanosti, područje društvenih znanosti, polje informacijske i komunikacijske znanosti)
• Type of resource: Text
• File origin: Born digital
• Access conditions: Open access
• Created on: 2017-01-23 13:28:03