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Diane+ formalism is created by Jean-Claude Tarby and Marie-France Barthet. Within Tamot, we use Diane+H, which is a subset of Diane+. Diane+ employs a graphical notation to represent task decomposition as well as temporal and logical relationships amongst the tasks. In a Diane+ diagram, tasks are represented by boxes which contain the name of the task, and when appropriate, the constraints on the number of times the task can be executed. The shape of the box represents the actor of the task, i.e., whether it is the end user, the system, or a combination of both.
The following table lists and explains the task attributes provided by Diane+H that we use in our work :
Task Attribute | Graphical Representation |
Explanation |
Interactive | ![]() |
|
Manual | ![]() |
|
Automatic | ![]() |
|
Elementary | ![]() ![]() |
|
Composite | ![]() |
|
Feedback | ![]() |
|
Mandatory | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
|
Optional | ![]() |
|
Parallelism | ![]() ![]() |
|
Task Sequence |
|
|
Sequence Precondition |
|
|
Iteration Constraints | ![]()
|
|
Name |
|
|
Comment |
|
|
Task Precondition | ![]() |
|
Terminal Node | ![]() |
|
A (composite and elementary) task is
either automatic, interactive or manual.
A composite automatic task contains only
automatic (composite and elementary) tasks.
A composite manual task contains only
manual (composite and elementary) tasks.
A composite interactive task contains
interactive (composite and elementary) tasks, and may contain automatic
(composite and elementary) tasks.
Boolean Connector Attribute | Graphical Representation |
Explanation |
Name Type |
|
|
Link Attribute | Graphical Representation |
Explanation |
Name Condition |
|
|
The figures below show some combinations of the different elements of Diane+H.
The user must do A. A is enabled if the condition "a" is true.
When A is finished, B and C are enabled. C is triggeted by the system, and B by the user.
C has a feedback which is specified there. When C is completed, F is enabled. F is a terminal event as G. That means that the goal is reached when F is finished OR when G is finished.
B is followed by a AND. So, both D and E must be completed. {A,B,C} has a equivalent behaviour to {B, AND, D, E}.
Both D and E must be completed before G becomes enabled.
Compared to the previous figure,
The user must do A without precondition on A.
When A is finished, we follow the link(s) which are true. So, in this case, either B or C may by reached.
B is followed by a OR. So, either D or E must be completed. {A,B,C} has a equivalent behaviour to {B, OR, D, E}.
The user must choose between A and B. If he chooses A, he can execute C afterwards if he wants, but it is not required to complete the compound task.
The user must do A and B.
The system executes automatically G and C. After C, the user will be able to do F.
After B, the user must do D or the system must do E (we assume that conditions on links or preconditions will be used later to specify clearly the behaviour).
For further information about the Diane+ formalism, the authors may be contacted :
Address | TRIGONE Laboratory - CUEEP Institute University Lille 1 59655 Villeneuve d'Ascq Cedex - FRANCE |
Jean-Claude.Tarby@univ-lille1.fr | |
Phone | +33 (0)3.20.43.32.62 |
Fax | +33 (0)3.20.43.32.79 |
barthet@univ-tlse1.fr | |
Phone | +33.5.61.63.35.62 |
Fax | +33.5.61.63.37.98 |
Publications of Jean-Claude Tarby | http://www-trigone.univ-lille1.fr/jean_claude/publis.htm |
Merge Tasks and Objects: Dream or Reality ? | http://www.cutsys.com/CHI97/Tarby.html |
OVID to AUIML - User-Oriented Interface Modelling | http://math.uma.pt/tupis00/submissions/azevedoroberts/azevedoroberts.html |