Analysis of Decisions Modification Impact in Specifications Evolution

In this paper we present an analogy-based approach enhanced by a decision structure to synthesize new formal specifications once a design decision has to be changed. To perform an informed change one has to take into consideration a very rich set of knowledge sources and decisions even in the case of very simple problems. We show that in order to make a consistent and complete modification one has to perform a trade-off among the set of interactions between various facets of the problem to be solved, rather than to pursue a more traditional linear, transformational, decompositional process. As a result of these interactions the change of a decision is not a local action, but rather a complex one that implies changes in several parts of the specifications.