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Title
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Improving the usability of a MAS DSML
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Author
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Abstract
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| Context: A significant effort has been devoted to the design and implementation of various domain-specific modeling languages (DSMLs) for the software agents domain. Problem: Language usability is often tackled in an ad-hoc way, with the collection of anecdotal evidence supporting the process. However, usability plays an important role in the productivity, learnability and, ultimately, in the adoption of a MAS DSML by agent developers. Method: In this chapter, we discuss how the principles of The “Physics” of Notations (PoN) can be applied to improve the visual notation of a MAS DSML, called SEA_ML and evaluate the result in terms of usability. Results: The evolved version of the language, SEA_ML++, was perceived as significantly improved in terms of icons comprehensibility, adequacy and usability, as a direct result of employing the principles of PoN. However, users were not significantly more efficient and effective with SEA_ML++, suggesting these 2 properties were not chiefly constrained by the identified shortcomings of the SEA_ML concrete syntax. |
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Language
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English
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Source (book)
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International Workshop on Engineering Multi-Agent Systems, EMAS 2018 : Engineering Multi-Agent Systems
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Source (series)
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Lecture notes in computer science ; 11375
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Publication
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Cham
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Springer
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2019
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ISBN
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978-3-030-25692-0
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DOI
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10.1007/978-3-030-25693-7_4
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Volume/pages
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p. 55-75
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Full text (Publisher's DOI)
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Full text (publisher's version - intranet only)
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