Abstract

A design pattern describes a generic solution for problems that occur repeatedly. Current descriptions of design patterns describe solutions with graphical notation and complementing text. To encourage the use of design patterns, the development of pattern supporting tools is imperative. This requires design patterns to be specified precisely. There has been considerable work done on pattern specifications. They suffer from either complication or lack of formality and features. In this paper, we describe a metamodeling technique to specify design patterns that is formal and easy to understand and use. The technique uses the Role-Based Metamodeling Language (RBML) based on the UML. The RBML is able to capture various design perspectives of patterns such as static structure, interactions, and state-based behavior. We give an overview of the RBML and demonstrate the technique using the Iterator design pattern. We show how pattern specifications can be used for checking pattern conformance using the model of a television remote control application. 1

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