Tech Reports

ULCS-02-009

A Language for Exchanging Agent UML Protocol Diagrams

Marc-Philippe Huget


Abstract

For several years, interaction protocol designers have had a new formalism which takes into account multiagent system features: autonomy, cooperation, etc. This formalism is called Agent UML. For the moment, designers can describe protocols with the Agent UML protocol diagrams but they do not have a textual language in order to exchange protocols or to check properties on them. The aim of this paper is to provide such a language. This language is called AXF (Agent UML eXchange Format) and is structured as an XML file. This paper presents the syntax of this language and applies AXF to the example of the English Auction Protocol.

Keywords: Multiagent Systems, Interaction Protocols, Formal Description Techniques, Agent UML

[Full Paper]