Using Petri Nets for Specifying Active Objects and Generative Communication

This paper presents an introduction to an approach for modelling, implementing and reasoning upon systems, based on principles of concurrent object-orientation, generative communication and Petri nets. The approach is illustrated through a case study, proposed by C. Sibertin-Blanc. The case is a variant of the well known dining philosophers problem, called "the Hurried Philosophers" problem. 1 Introduction This paper presents some results of ongoing research on combining principles of (concurrent) object-orientation, generative communication and the Petri net formalism. The combination of these three components appears to provide a sound basics for a large number of requirements for the development of complex applications and open systems 1 : flexibility and reusability, modular development, coordination of active objects, formal reasoning (both about behavioural and typetheoretical issues) upon isolated components and entire system configurations. Concurrent object-orientation is t..