Reference
LML Primer
The Lifecycle Modeling Language describes a system with a small set of classes (kinds of things), relationships between them, and attributes on both. Holarch ships with a default LML schema: 26 classes, 92 relations, 93 attributes and 140 labels.
Entities
Everything in a project is an entity: one instance of a class with a Name, Number (for example 1.2.3), Description, Labels and class attributes. Diagrams, documents, matrices and charts are views of the same entities, so a change in one view shows everywhere.
The main classes
| Class | Use it for | Typical relationships |
|---|---|---|
| Action | Functions, activities, tasks: what the system does | decomposed by, performed by (Asset), generates / receives (Input/Output), satisfies (Requirement) |
| Asset (Resource) | Systems, subsystems, people, organizations: who or what performs actions | performs, connected by (Conduit), decomposed by |
| Input/Output | Data, material or energy passed between actions | generated by / received by, transferred by (Conduit) |
| Conduit | Physical or logical links between assets: interfaces | connects to (Asset), transfers (Input/Output) |
| Requirement (Statement) | “The system shall…” statements; Statements also cover goals, assumptions and definitions | decomposed by, satisfied by, verified by (Test Case), traced to |
| Artifact | Documents, specifications, presentations | source of, decomposed by (sections) |
| Test Case | Verification activities | verifies (Requirement), decomposed by (steps) |
| Risk | Things that may go wrong (probability × consequence) | caused by, mitigated by, resolves |
| Characteristic (Measure) | Performance parameters and measures of effectiveness | specifies |
| Cost, Time, Location, Decision, Issue, Equation | Cost data, milestones, places, decisions, issues, equations | incurred by, occurred by, located at, … |
Relationships
- Every relationship has an inverse: “Plan Route performed by Drone” is the same link as “Drone performs Plan Route”.
- The schema limits which classes each relation may connect; Holarch offers only allowed relations (see Schema).
- decomposed by / decomposes builds every hierarchy: numbering, document outlines, hierarchy and tree diagrams, and action-diagram children.
- Some relationships carry attributes; for example receives has a Trigger flag used in simulation.
Labels
Labels tag entities without changing their class: a Requirement labeled Functional Requirement, an Artifact labeled Test Suite or Presentation, an Action labeled Capability.
Traceability backbone
Artifact source of Requirement → Requirement decomposed by child requirements → Requirement satisfied by Action or Asset → Requirement verified by Test Case. The Traceability Matrix, Spider diagram, RVTM and Model Checks check this chain for gaps.
Full lists: classes and attributes, relationships, labels.