Revisiting the ALPS - An Investigation of Abstract Layered PASS.

This work is a re-investigation of the concept and developed tools for the modeling approach called, Abstract Layered PASS (ALPS). The paper investigates the details of what is actually two separated extensions to the classical subject-oriented modeling approach with the Parallel Activity Specification Shema (PASS). One is the concept of Layered PASS, a way of modeling multi-behavior subjects and ad-hoc extensions, while Abstract PASS is essentially the theory behind declarative process modeling within the paradigm subject-orientation. Both ideas have been further refined since their first inception and are no longer pure conceptual ideas but rather are supported by functional tools and clear application scenarios. The overall goal of this work therefore is to integrate and unify previously fragmented concepts, the additions that have been made over the last years, often due to practical modeling concerns, and present their now existing formalization with an ontological definition that was developed alongside and is compatible with the formal OWL based exchange standard for PASS.