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First International Workshop on Combining
Modelling and Search-Based Software Engineering

http://www.cs.york.ac.uk/es/cmsbse

Monday 20th May, 2013

ICSE 2013, San Francisco, California, USA
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The first workshop on combining modelling and search-based software engineering will be co-located with the 2013 International Conference on Software Engineering (ICSE). Modelling plays a vital and pervasive role in software engineering: it provides means to manage complexity via abstraction, and enables the creation of larger, more complex systems. Search-based software engineering (SBSE) offers a productive and proven approach to software engineering through automated discovery of near-optimal solutions to problems, and has proven itself to be effective on a wide variety of problems. The goals of this workshop are to highlight that SBSE and modelling have substantial conceptual and technical synergy, and to identify and present opportunities in which they can be combined, whilst also aiming to grow the community working in this area.

Topics of interest for the workshop include:

* Search-amenable representations of models: Can we use direct representations of modelling formalisms (e.g. graphs) or do we need a genotype-phenotype mapping? Are there generic representations for models, or are problem-specific representations more appropriate?
* Domain-specific search operators: Are the standard genetic operators enough? Do we need problem-specific operators?
* Models of metaheuristic techniques: Can modelling techniques be used to evaluate and compare different metaheuristic techniques? Can modelling a problem formally suggest which metaheuristic technique would be most applicable?
* Metaheuristic techniques specific to modelling: Due to the complex nature of models, are current metaheuristic search techniques enough? Do we need new techniques that are tailored to manage the complexity of models?
* Comparisons of standard metaheuristic techniques against bespoke modelling-specific metaheuristic techniques
* Applications of search to modelling problems
* Integrations of search techniques that is enabled through the use of modelling
* Novel algorithms for search when applied to modelling formalisms
* Search techniques applied to metamodels
* Search techniques applied to operations on models (e.g. model transformations): Examples include white or black box testing, test case generation
* Optimising models at runtime: Can we efficiently use metaheuristic techniques to optimise models that are used during at runtime?
* Proposals of benchmark modelling case studies against which different metaheuristic techniques can be evaluated
* Tool papers related to combining search and modelling
* Position statements on ways in which modelling and SBSE could be combined

IMPORTANT DATES:
Paper submission - 7th February 2013
Author notification - 28th February 2013
Camera-ready papers - 7th March 2013

WORKSHOP FORMAT:
The day will begin with a tutorial-like keynote that highlights the overlaps and gaps between the two fields. There will then be three paper presentation sessions; each paper will be given a 20 minute slot followed by 10 minutes for questions and discussion. Each paper shall have a designated opponent who's job wil be to give a five minute critique of the paper/presentation and encourage further discussion on the work. The final session will be used for discussion inspired by the presented papers and will aim to form new collaborations and research agendas.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:
Participants are invited to submit a 6 page technical research paper, a 4 page position paper, or a 2 page challenges and open problems paper. Papers must follow the ICSE 2013 format and submission guidelines. Each paper will receive at least three reviews by members of the program and organising committees. Papers will be reviewed for quality, novelty and relevance, and position papers will have the extra criteria of whether a strong, interesting presentation would be possible.

Papers should be submitted via Easychair at https://www.easychair.org/conferences/?conf=cmsbse2013.

ORGANISING COMMITTEE:
* Mark Harman, University College London, UK
* Richard Paige, University of York, UK
* James Williams, University of York, UK

CONTACT INFORMATION:
To contact the organisers, please email: cmsbse2013@easychair.org

PROGRAM COMMITTEE:
* Benoit Baudry: INRIA Rennes Bretagne-Atlantique, France
* Lionel Briand: University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg
* Betty Cheng: Michigan State University, USA
* John Clark: University of York, UK
* Phil McMinn: University of Sheffield, UK
* Simon Poulding: University of York, UK
* Houari Sahraoui: University of Montreal, Canada
* Shin Yoo: University College London, UK
* More to be confirmed

SPONSOR
We are proud to be sponsored by DAASE (http://daase.cs.ucl.ac.uk/).