A Logic-Based Framework for Detecting Inconsistencies of UML Models

Software modeling involves creating multiple software models that represent different viewpoints of the system under development. These models complement one another and should remain coherent throughout the development process, as they represent a single system. Ensuring consistency across different models is crucial for building high-quality software within time and budget constraints. Existing research on consistency management primarily focuses on structural consistency and covers only a subset of UML models. In this paper, we propose a logic-based framework for detecting inconsistencies in basic UML models. We develop a comprehensive metamodel of basic UML models that addresses both structural and semantic relations among metamodel elements. Furthermore, we define new consistency rules for use within the framework to detect various types of inconsistency. The proposed framework is validated using a formal logic-based modeling language and evaluated using two case studies. Compared with existing approaches, the proposed framework provides more comprehensive coverage of inconsistencies. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed framework in detecting various types of inconsistencies.