COLLOQUIUM
Department of Computer Science and Engineering
University of South Carolina

Search-Based Transformation by Example

Marouane Kessentini

International Center of Excellence in Software Engineering
Qatar University

Date: December 2, 2011
Time: 1430-1530 (2:30pm-3:30pm)
Place: Swearingen 1A03 (Faculty Lounge)

Abstract

Model and code transformation (M&CT) is an important component of the
Model-Driven Engineering paradigm. Despite the many advances in
research, writing M&CT mechanisms is still a technical and economic
challenge. In this talk, I will present three of my contributions to
resolving this challenge.  The first contribution aims to automate
model transformations by considering M&CT as an optimization
problem. In this setting, different transformation possibilities are
evaluated and, for each possibility, a quality is associated depending
on its conformity with a reference set of examples.  The second
contribution targets the identification of code parts (design defects)
that need to be transformed in order to improve the global quality of
a program. To this end, I will present two techniques. The first one
exploits a genetic programming algorithm that automatically finds
defect-detection rules by combining metrics and thresholds according
to a set of known instances of design defects (defect
examples). Taking inspiration from artificial immune systems, the
second technique is based on the notion that the more a code deviates
from examples of good practices, the more likely it is risky.  The
third contribution addresses the problem of M&CT testing. We propose a
testing oracle function that compares target test cases with a base of
examples containing good quality transformation traces, and assigns a
risk level based on the dissimilarity between the two. The three
contributions were evaluated successfully with industrial and
widely-used open-source projects.  Finally, I will give an overview of
my current collaborations with different research teams (Vienna
University of Technology, West Virginia University, University of
Alabama, University of Montreal, etc.) and some future research
directions.

Marouane Kessentini is the associate director of the International
Center of Excellence in Software Engineering at Qatar University. He
holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science, University of Montreal (Canada),
2011. His research interests include the application of artificial
intelligence techniques to software engineering (search-based software
engineering), software testing, model-driven engineering, software
quality, and re-engineering.  He has published around 30 papers in
conferences, workshops, books, and journals including four best paper
awards. His thesis was selected for the best thesis award and also
university nominee for the Governor General's Gold Medal. He has
served as program committee member in several conferences and
journals, and as organization member of many conferences and
workshops.