How to Use CTTE

Please note that these explanation notes basically refer to CTTE version 2.5 onward.

1. General
   1. How to Install and Run the Tool
   2. The Formats in Which You Can Save a CTT Task Model
   3. CTT Temporal Operators
   4. CTTE Menus
2. How To:
   1. Build a New Single-User Task Model
   2. Add New Tasks to a Task Model
   3. Add Operators Between Tasks
   4. Change the Properties of a Task
   5. Build a New Cooperative Task Model
   6. Edit an Existing Single-User/Cooperative Task Model
   7. Save a Single-User/Cooperative Task Model in Different Formats
   8. Check the Single-User/Cooperative Task Model Structure
   9. Obtain a CTT Task Model Starting from an Informal Description of the System
   10. Simulate the Behaviour of a Task Model

1. General

1.1 - How to Install and Run the Tool

1. Download the latest version of the tool from its download page. Please note that CTTE is a Java-based tool, so you should have installed a Java Runtime Environment in your system to run CTTE
2. Unzip the downloaded file into a distribution folder (from now on, we call this folder as "ctte_home")
3. Run the tool. There are two possible ways to do this:
   • (via command line) Open a shell, go to the mariae_home folder, then run the following command: java -jar "ctteCoop.jar"
   • Alternatively, if you use a Windows OS, you can double-click on the "run_win.bat" file

1.2 - The Formats in Which You Can Save a CTT Task Model

The task models created by the CTTE environment are all compliant with the specification of the ConcurTaskTrees language. However, they can be saved by using different file extensions, which might depend both on the type of content the task model has (for instance, whether it is a single task model or a cooperative task model), and the type of format that has been used for representing the information (e.g. XML). We can identify the following file extensions for the CTT task model that can be generated with the CTTE:

• .ctt/.ctte

  These are the default extensions for CTT task models. The only difference is that from version 2.0 onward, the .ctte has been used instead of the .ctt extension

• .cctt

  This extension is used for cooperative CTT task models, namely, CTT task models in which you can define different roles acting in a collaborative way. If you are not interested in modelling a collaborative application (where you have more than one role/user involved), you should use single-role (or single-user) CTT task models

• .xml

  Both single-role and cooperative CTT task models can be saved using a XML-based format, to enhance the interchange with other commonly-used notations and formats

We also mention the possibility to save CTT task models as JPG files, which can be very handy to read task model specifications:

• .jpg

  Select File| Save Tree as JPG to save a whole tree, or File| Save Subtree as JPG to save the subtree whose root is the current task.

1.3 - CTT Temporal Operators

With the CTT notation, it is possible to include different temporal relationships (or temporal operators), which have different priority levels. The CTT temporal operators (from the operators with the highest priority to the ones with the lowest) are :

• Choice []
• Order Independence |=|
• Interleaving |||
• Synchronisation |[]|
• Disabling [>
• Suspend-Resume |>
• Sequential Enabling >>
• Sequential Enabling Info []>>

Please note that, differently from the above CTT temporal operators, which are all operators to be applied to two tasks (e.g. T1>>T2), the following CTT operators are unary operators:

• Iteration T* (where "T*" means that task T is iterative)
• Optionality [T] (where [T] means that task T is optional)

For further information about CTT notation please refer to this page

1.4 - CTTE Menus

• File - General operations available in the tool
  • New - To create a new CTT task model
  • Open - To open a CTT task model (saved with a .ctt/.ctte file extension)
  • Open CTT as XML - To open a CTT task model that was saved with a ".xml" file extension
  • Save - To save the currently loaded CTT task model
  • Save as - To save the currently loaded CTT task model with and possibly provide a name and an extension for the concerned file
  • Save SubTree As - When you want to separately save only a subtree of the current task model, you will have to use this functiionality. First select a (non-elementary) task which represents the root of the subtree you want to save, then select it: the tool will give you the possibility to save it in your hard disk.
  • Save CTT as XML - To save the current CTT task model using a .xml extension
  • Save Tree as JPG - To save the current CTT task model as a JPG image
  • Save SubTree as JPG - To save a subtree of the current CTT task model as a JPG image
  • Print - To print the current CTT task model
  • Print in Multiple Pages - When you have very large CTT task model specification, you might want to have the possiiblity to print it by using multiple pages. This option will offer this feature
  • Quit - To quit the tool
• Edit - To edit CTT models in the tool
  • Undo - To undo the last action
  • Redo - To redo the last action
  • Cut Selection - To cut the current task selection. Please note that, once you have selected a task in the CTT task tree this feature will cut only that task and not the connected subtree)
  • Cut Subtree - To cut the entire subtree that has, as its root, the task currently selected
  • Copy Selection - To copy the current task selection
  • Copy SubTree - To copy the subtree which has, as its root, the task currently selected
  • Paste - To past the last copied/cut selection
  • Delete - To delete the current selection
  • Find.. - When the size of a task model becomes quite large, you may want to quickly find a task having a certain name within the task tree. With this functionality you can do this.
• View - To view CTT models in the tool
  • Task Properties - This will provide you with the possiiblity to edit the properties of the currently selected task
  • Icon Representation - You may want to change the set of icons used for representing CTT tasks: this functioanlity allows you to do that
  • Priority Tree - Sometimes it might occur that different temporal operators can be combined together at the same task level. In this case, you should carefully understanding and managing task priorities, in order to correctly understand whether the modelled behaviour is the expected one. For instance the task expression (T1
  • Task Model by Levels - It enables to see only a certain number of task levels in the tree hierarchy of the current task model shown
  • Cooperative Mode - It enables to switch between cooperative mode (where you can specify a cooperative task model) and a single-role task model
  • Fold/UnFold SubTree - It enables to fold/unfold the specification of a certain subtree (which is the one having as a root the selected task)
  • Unfold all - It enables to unfold the entire task model specification (this feature might be useful after having carries out a folding action, when you want to ensure that all the tasks have been unfolded)
• Info - To obtain some information on the currently displayed task model
  • Task Model Statistics - To obtain some statistical information of the task model currently open in the tool
• Insert - To include some tasks in the current task model
  • Below (child) - To include a new task as a child of the currently selected task
  • To the left (sibling) - To include a new task as the left-hand sibling of the currently selected task
  • Subtree from File - To include (as a child of the currently selected task) a subtree selected from a file
  • New Level - To insert a new level of tasks
• Tools - A group of additional functionalities to be used with task models
  • Model Filter - With CTTE you can specify multi-platform tasks, namely for each task, you can specify which are the platforms on which such task should be supported. Therefore, you can end up having a task model in which mutliple platforms are involved. If you want to have the task model that refers to one specific platform, you can filter out the information associated to the remaining platforms. Therefore, you have to filter out your model by using this functionality, which allows you to obtain the task model referring only to the platform that you are interested in.
  • Informal to Formal Description - This functionality allows you to more easily build a task model starting from an informal description of the considered application
  • Check Model Structure - This functionality allows you to check the structure of the task model
  • Start Task Model Simulator - This functionality enables you to start the task model simulator, which allows to interactively simulate the behaviour of the task model, according to the provided specification
  • Reachability Analysis - This feature enables you to verify reachability properties within the task model

2. How To

2.1 - Build a New Single-User Task Model

When you start CTTE, the "root" node of a new single-user task model is shown, and its category is set by default to "abstraction" (a cloud-shaped icon is used). At that moment the root is the only node in the task model: within the editor panel it is highlighted as the "current" task (see the black frame around its icon). Generally, any time you use CTTE there should be one task will be highlighted as the "current" task, meaning that every action you do will be referred to this task. Changing the current task is easy: just select the icon of the concerned task.

2.2 - Add New Tasks to a Task Model

A new task can be added to a certain task model, by selecting the proper icon in the graphical toolbar visualised in the left-hand part of the tool. Such task can be included in the task model according to two insertion modes that depend on where the new task will be added with respect to the currently selected task, namely:

• Below: as the farthest right child of the currently selected task. This insertion mode is the default
• To the left: as the left sibling of the currently selected task.

The current insertion mode is visualised by selecting, from the CTTE menubar, the menu "Insert". In order to change the insertion mode you can use that button again and change appropriately the insertion mode.

• An Example

  If you want to add a new task as the farthest right child of a task T, you should do the following steps:

  • make sure that the "Below" insertion mode is selected within the tool
  • select task T (namely, click on its icon in the task tree);
  • in the graphical toolbar in the left hand part of the tool, select the icon associated with the appropriate task category within the CTTE toolbar: this action will insert, within the task model, a new task having that category

2.3 - Add Operators Between Tasks

You can add a temporal operator on the right side of the currently selected task. Thus, if you have two sibling tasks, Task1 and Task2 and you want to specify Task1 op Task2 (where op is a CTT operator) you have to click on the icon associated with Task1, then select (within the operator toolbar) the button associated with the desired operator.

2.4 - Change the Properties of a Task

To change the properties of a task, double-click on its icon. A new window will be displayed making you able to change the properties you are interested in. A subset of relevant properties about the current task is also displayed within the main window in order to give you quick access to them.

2.5 - Build a New Cooperative Task Model

1. Step 1: Enable "Cooperative mode" option

   When you start CTTE, by default you are supposed to build a single-user task model. If you want to create a cooperative task model you have to enable the cooperative mode by selecting View|Cooperative mode in the tool menubar. As a result, the root of the Cooperative task model ("Cooperative root") will be displayed in the editor panel and the "Cooperative" label is displayed in the tabbed panel within the main window, meaning that the task of the "Cooperative" task model is currently shown.

2. Step 2: Add new roles

   Before building the cooperative task model, you should specify the task model of the involved "roles", so you have to add new roles to the cooperative task model. In order to do it, select the "New Role" button in the bottom-right hand corner of the window displayed when the the "Cooperative" task model is shown. After selecting that button, the tabbed panel is automatically switched to the task model that has been just created and associated with the new role.

3. Step 3: Focus on the "connection tasks"

   If you are building a cooperative task model, you are supposed to have specified -within the task model of each role- some "connection tasks" Such tasks are displayed -for each role- when the Cooperative task model is selected in the right-hand part of the main window and they are useful to build easily the cooperative task model. Connection tasks are used to connect the tasks specified in the task model of each role and which are involved in a cooperation, with the related tasks existing in the cooperative task model

4. Step 4: Building the cooperative task model: set connection tasks

   All the leaves of the cooperative task model have to be connection tasks previously defined in the task model of each involved role. If you want to add a (connection) task in the cooperative task model you have to add the task in the cooperative task model as usual (that is by selecting the appropriate icon in the left-hand part of the window). Then, make this task the current task and select the appropriate role/task in the lists displayed in the right-hand part of the window, then click "Set Connection" button.

2.6 - Edit an Existing Single-User/Cooperative Task Model

Some general, commonly-used editing operations are available within the CTTE:

• Cut/copy either the current selected task (Edit|Cut Selection) or the whole task tree having the current task as its root (Edit|Cut Subtree); Paste the task currently saved in the clipboard (Edit | Paste)
• Undo the last editing action performed (Edit | Undo)
• Insert a task whose specification is stored in a separate file (Insert|Subtree from File)
• Make a new task father of a number of tasks: with the "^Control" key pressed, select such tasks, then Insert | New Level

Some other features are available in order to support users while editing their task models:

• Find a task (Edit | Find...)
• Hide some parts of a task model (Edit | Hide Subtree), justify a task tree, line up different tasks at the same level,
• Drag a task (select the task with the left button of the mouse and drag it) or a whole task tree (select the root of the concerned task tree with the right button of the mouse and drag)

You might also want to obtain some information about the task models (e.g. get general information about the number/type of tasks): in order to do this select (Info| Task Model Statistics...)

2.7 - Save a Single-User/Cooperative Task Model in Different Formats

There are some formats in which you can save a task model (or a part of it):

• .ctt/.ctte formats (single-user) and .cctt format (cooperative)

  The .ctt/.ctte are the default extensions for CTT task models. The only difference is that from version 2.0 onward, the .ctte has been used instead of the .ctt extension. Rather, .cctt extension is used for cooperative CTT task models, namely, CTT task models in which you can define different roles acting in a collaborative way. Regardless of the type of task model (single/cooperative), you can save the entire CTT task model (by selecting File |Save or File |Save as ), but you can also save only a part of the task model by selecting the root of the concerned subtree, and then doing File | Save Subtree as

• .xml format

  A CTT specification can be saved also in XML format to enhance the interchange with other commonly-used notations and formats (File | Save CTT as XML).

• .jpg format

  CTTE give the users the possibility to save their task models in ".jpg" format (select File| Save Tree as JPG to save a whole tree; select File| Save Subree as JPG to save the subtree whose root is the current task).

2.8 - Check the Structure of a Single-User/Cooperative Task Model

In order to facilitate the users to build correct task model specifications, the CTTE offers the possibility to perform some automatic checks on the specification itself, regarding all the possible errors which might make the specification incomplete or ambiguous (i.e.: a task with only one child, lack of temporal operators between two children, a connection task which does not appear in the cooperative task model, ...). To enable such functionality select Tools | Check Model Structure. A window appears with the list of errors (if any) together with the possibility of having quick access to the task referred by a specific error (by double-click on the error itself)

2.9 - Obtain a CTT Task Model starting from an Informal Description of the System

Sometimes users might have available an informal description of a system, or some sample scenarios describing tipical behaviour of the system itself. The CTT Environment offers the useful capability of supporting users while they extract relevant information from such scenarios in order to build a more formal specification (Tools | Informal to Formal Description).

2.10 - Simulate the Behaviour of a Task Model

Especially with large specifications it is very useful to have the possibility to generate and follow some specific execution sequences/paths that are admittable with the current task model specification. Once you have specified the behaviour of a specific system, the tool allows you to intercatively "simulate" some behaviour by means of the Task Model Simulator (which can be activated by selecting Tools | Start Task Model Simulator). The Task Model Simulator enables, from time to time, and depending on the previously selected tasks, only the tasks that can be executed according to the model specification.