Software Engineering Techniques Applied to Agricultural Systems: An Object-Oriented and UML Approach

311 Pages·2014·7.66 MB·English

by  Petraq J. Papajorgji

Springer Optimization and Its Applications 93
Petraq J. Papajorgji
Panos M. Pardalos
Software Engineering
Techniques Applied
to Agricultural
Systems
An Object-Oriented and UML Approach
Second Edition
Springer Optimization and Its Applications
VOLUME93
ManagingEditor
PanosM.Pardalos(UniversityofFlorida)
Editor–CombinatorialOptimization
Ding-ZhuDu(UniversityofTexasatDallas)
AdvisoryBoard
J.Birge(UniversityofChicago)
C.A.Floudas(PrincetonUniversity)
F.Giannessi(UniversityofPisa)
H.D.Sherali(VirginiaPolytechnicandStateUniversity)
T.Terlaky(McMasterUniversity)
Y.Ye(StanfordUniversity)
AimsandScope
Optimization has been expanding in all directions at an astonishing rate
during the last few decades. New algorithmic and theoretical techniques
havebeendeveloped,thediffusionintootherdisciplineshasproceededata
rapidpace,andourknowledgeofallaspectsofthefieldhasgrownevenmore
profound.Atthesametime,oneofthemoststrikingtrendsinoptimization
is the constantly increasing emphasis on the interdisciplinary nature of the
field.Optimizationhasbeenabasictoolinallareasofappliedmathematics,
engineering,medicine,economics,andothersciences.
The series Springer Optimization and Its Applications publishes under-
graduate and graduate textbooks, monographs and state-of-the-art exposi-
tory works that focus on algorithms for solving optimization problems and
alsostudyapplicationsinvolvingsuchproblems.Someofthetopicscovered
include nonlinear optimization (convex and nonconvex), network flow
problems, stochastic optimization, optimal control, discrete optimization,
multi-objectiveprogramming,descriptionofsoftwarepackages,approxima-
tiontechniquesandheuristicapproaches.
Forfurthervolumes:
http://www.springer.com/series/7393

Petraq J. Papajorgji • Panos M. Pardalos
Software Engineering
Techniques Applied
to Agricultural Systems
An Object-Oriented and UML Approach
Second Edition
123
PetraqJ.Papajorgji PanosM.Pardalos
CanadianInstituteofTechnology DepartmentofIndustrialand
Tirana,Albania SystemsEngineering
UniversityofFlorida
Gainesville,FL,USA
ISSN1931-6828 ISSN1931-6836(electronic)
ISBN978-1-4899-7462-4 ISBN978-1-4899-7463-1(eBook)
DOI10.1007/978-1-4899-7463-1
SpringerNewYorkHeidelbergDordrechtLondon
LibraryofCongressControlNumber:2014938623
FirsteditionpublishedbySpringer©2006in“AppliedOptimization”,Vol.100
MathematicsSubjectClassification(2010):68,94
©SpringerScience+BusinessMediaNew York 2006,2014
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Toourchildren:
DeaPetraqPapajorgji
and
MiltiadesPanosPardalos

Preface to the Second Edition
Thefirsteditionofthisbookwasusedasatextbookinseveraluniversitiesaround
the world. We have received comments and suggestions on how to improve the
book.Asthefirsteditionwaspublishedin2006,itisfittingthatafter9yearsthere
aremanytechnologicalchangesandadvancesthatmustbepresented.Foronething,
UML,whichisattheheartoftheapproachusedinthefirstedition,isinversion2.
ThenewversionofUMLismorecomplete;itisenrichedwiththeobjectconstraint
language (OCL) to better express constraints on modeling elements. This second
editionhasadedicatedchapteraboutOCL.
The framework-based software development is one of the most important
approaches nowadays; it is powerful and enormously facilitates the process of
softwaredevelopment.ThereareafewsuchframeworkssuchasZendFramework
(http://www.framework.zend.com)andYii(http://www.yiiframework.com)toname
a couple. At the center of this framework-based approach is the model-view-
controller (MVC) design pattern. Therefore, we have dedicated a special section
tothepresentationoftheMVCpattern.
In the Epilogue of the first edition we had predicted that the model-driven
architecture (MDA) approach would grow and play a relevant role in the software
development industry. Our prediction was right. MDA is becoming more and
more prevalent in the software industry. Several MDA compliant tools have been
presentinthemarketanditsshareinthesoftwaredevelopmentindustryisgrowing
constantly. One cannot write a serious book on software development without
mentioning this approach. In this book, we have selected to introduce only two of
the MDA-based tools—the virtual enterprise (http://www.intelliun.com) and Oliva
Nova (http://www.integranova.com). Two new chapters present some details of
theseimportanttechnologies.
Towriteabookaboutsoftwareengineeringisverychallengingastechnologies
change continuously and books in this domain usually do not have a long shelf
life. We paid special attention to not get into the details of the implementation of
a particular technology but rather in presenting the modeling part of the problem.
Models are abstract and technology independent. Therefore, models have a long
shelflife.
vii
viii PrefacetotheSecondEdition
Chapter8includesexercisesandquestionsonconceptualmodeling.Thecorre-
spondinganswersaregiveninChap.16attheendofthebook.Thegoalistomake
readersawarethatmodelingisacomplextaskandtheessenceoftheobject-oriented
paradigmmustbeunderstoodbeforestartingtomodel.
Thebookcanbeusefultoundergraduateandgraduatestudentsandresearchers
whohaveaninterestonmodelingcomplexsystems.
A book is never the result of the author’s work only, and this book does not
makeexceptionfromthisgeneralrule.Severalaretheywhodeservecreditfortheir
objective and unselfish help that made this book better. We would like to express
our gratitude to all of them for their criticism and suggestions that contributed to
improvethequalityofourwork.
Preface to the First Edition
Thisbookisanefforttobringtheapplicationofnewtechnologiesintothedomain
of agriculture. Historically, agriculture has been relatively behind the industrial
sector in using and adapting to new technologies. One of the reasons for the
technological gap between industrial and agricultural sectors could be the modest
amountsofinvestmentsmadeinthefieldofagriculturecomparedtotheimpressive
numbersandeffortstheindustrialsectorinvestsinnewtechnologies.Anotherreason
couldbetherelativelyslowprocessofupdatingthestudent’scurriculumwithnew
technologiesinuniversitydepartmentsthatprepareourfuturespecialistsinthefield
ofagriculture.
Withthisbook,wewouldliketonarrowthetechnologicalgapexistingbetween
agriculture and the industrial sector in the field of software engineering. We have
tried to apply modern software engineering techniques in modeling agricultural
systems. Our approach is based on using the object-oriented paradigm and the
unified modeling language (UML) to analyze, design, and implement agricultural
systems.
Object-oriented has been the mainstream approach in the software industry for
the last decade, but its acceptance by the community of agricultural modelers
has been rather modest. There are a great number of researchers who still feel
comfortable using traditional programming techniques in developing new models
for agricultural systems. Although the use of the object-oriented paradigm will
certainlynotmakethesimulationmodelspredictanybetter,itwillsurelyincrease
theproductivity,flexibility,reuse,andqualityofthesoftwareproduced.
The success of the object-oriented approach is mostly due to the ability of this
paradigmtocreateadequateabstractions.Abstractionisaneffectivewaytomanage
complexity as it allows for focusing on important, essential, or distinguishing
aspects of a problem under study. Object-oriented is the best approach to mimic
realworldphenomena. Entitiesorconcepts inaproblemdomain areconceived as
objects provided with data and behavior to play a well-defined role. Objects can
represent anything in the real world, such as a person, a car, or a physiological
process occurring in aplant. The useof objects enormously facilitates the process
of conceptual modeling, which can be defined as the process of organizing our
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