Modeling language

Key takeaways

Modeling language belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Modeling language to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Modeling language from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

A modeling language is a notation for expressing data, information or knowledge or systems in a structure that is defined by a consistent set of rules. A modeling language can be graphical or textual. A graphical modeling language uses a diagramming technique with named symbols that represent concepts and lines that connect the symbols and represent relationships and various other graphical notation to represent constraints. A textual modeling language may use standardized keywords accompanied by parameters or natural language terms and phrases to make computer-interpretable expressions. An example of a graphical modeling language and a corresponding textual modeling language is EXPRESS. Not all modeling languages are executable, and for those that are, the use of them doesn't necessarily mean that programmers are no longer required. On the contrary, executable modeling languages are intended to amplify the productivity of skilled programmers, so that they can address more challenging problems, such as parallel computing and distributed systems. A large number of modeling languages appear in the literature.

Type of modeling languages

Graphical types Example of graphical modeling languages in the field of computer science, project management and systems engineering:

Behavior Trees are a formal, graphical modeling language used primarily in systems and software engineering. Commonly used to unambiguously represent the hundreds or even thousands of natural language requirements that are typically used to express the stakeholder needs for a large-scale software-integrated system. Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN, and the XML form BPML) is an example of a Process Modeling language. C-K theory consists of a modeling language for design processes. DRAKON is a general-purpose algorithmic modeling language for specifying software-intensive systems, a schematic representation of an algorithm or a stepwise process, and a family of programming languages. EXPRESS and EXPRESS-G (ISO 10303-11) is an international standard general-purpose data modeling language. Extended Enterprise Modeling Language (EEML) is commonly used for business process modeling across a number of layers. Flowchart is a schematic representation of an algorithm or a stepwise process. Fundamental Modeling Concepts (FMC) modeling language for software-intensive systems. IDEF is a family of modeling languages, which include IDEF0 for functional modeling, IDEF1X for information modeling, IDEF3 for business process modeling, IDEF4 for Object-Oriented Design and IDEF5 for modeling ontologies. Jackson Structured Programming (JSP) is a method for structured programming based on correspondences between data stream structure and program structure. LePUS3 is an object-oriented visual Design Description Language and a formal specification language that is suitable primarily for modeling large object-oriented (Java, C++, C#) programs and design patterns. Lifecycle Modeling Language is an open-standard language for systems engineering that supports the full system lifecycle: conceptual, utilization, support and retirement stages. Object-Role Modeling (ORM) in the field of software engineering is a method for conceptual modeling, and can be used as a tool for information and rules analysis. Petri nets use variations on exactly one diagramming technique and topology, namely the bipartite graph. The simplicity of its basic user interface easily enabled extensive tool support over the years, particularly in the areas of model checking, graphically oriented simulation, and software verification. Southbeach Notation is a visual modeling language used to describe situations in terms of agents that are considered useful or harmful from the modeler's perspective. The notation shows how the agents interact with each other and whether this interaction improves or worsens the situation. Specification and Description Language (SDL) is a specification language targeted at the unambiguous specification and description of the behavior of reactive and distributed systems. SysML is a Domain-Specific Modeling language for systems engineering that is defined as a UML profile (customization). Unified Modeling Language (UML) is a general-purpose modeling language that is an industry standard for specifying software-intensive systems. UML 2.0, the current version, supports thirteen different diagram techniques, and has widespread tool support. FLINT — language which allows a high-level description of normative systems. Service-oriented modeling framework (SOMF) is a holistic language for designing enterprise and application level architecture models in the space of enterprise architecture, virtualization, service-oriented architecture (SOA), cloud computing, and more. Architecture description language (ADL) is a language used to describe and represent the systems architecture of a system. Architecture Analysis & Design Language (AADL) is a modeling language that supports early and repeated analyses of a system's architecture with respect to performance-critical properties through an extendable notation, a tool framework, and precisely defined semantics. Examples of graphical modeling languages in other fields of science.

EAST-ADL is a Domain-Specific Modeling language dedicated to automotive system design. Energy Systems Language (ESL), a language that aims to model ecological energetics & global economics. IEC 61499 defines Domain-Specific Modeling language dedicated to distribute industrial process measurement and control systems.

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Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Modeling language

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Modeling language claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Modeling language before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Modeling language ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Modeling language

In research: Modeling language appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Modeling language in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Modeling language is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Modeling languages, Specification languages, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Modeling language outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

How to study Modeling language in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Modeling language means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Modeling language out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Modeling language in simple terms?

A modeling language is a notation for expressing data, information or knowledge or systems in a structure that is defined by a consistent set of rules. A modeling language can be graphical or textual.

Why does Modeling language matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Modeling language?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Modeling language.