The Model-Driven Architecture initiative of the OMG promotes the idea of transformations in the context of mapping from platform independent to platform specific models. Additionally, the popularity of XML and the wide spread use of XSLT has raised the profile of model transformation as an important technique for computing. In fact, computing may well be moving to a new paradigm in which models are considered first class entities and transformations between them are a major function performed on those models. This paper proposes an approach to defining and implementing model transformations which uses metamodelling patterns to capture the essence of mathematical relations. It shows how these patterns can be used to define the relationship between two different metamodels. A goal of the approach is to enable complete specifications from which tools can be generated. The paper describes implementations of the examples, which have been partially generated from the definitions using a tool generation tool. A number of issues emerge which need to be solved in order to achieve the stated goal; these are discussed.

Abstract. Metamodelling is becoming a standard way of defining languages such as the UML. A language definition distinguishes between concrete syntax, abstract syntax and semantics domain. It is possible to define all three using a metamodelling approach, but it is less clear how to define the transformations between them. This paper proposes an approach which uses metamodelling patterns that capture the essence of mathematical relations. It shows how these patterns can be used to define both the relationship between concrete syntax and abstract syntax, and between abstract syntax and semantics domain, for a fragment of UML. A goal of the approach is to provide a complete specification of a language from which intelligent tools can be generated. The extent to which the approach meets this goal is discussed in the paper.

A significant current software engineering problem is the conceptual mismatch between the abstract concept of an association as found in modelling languages such as UML and the lower level expressive facilities available in object-oriented languages such as Java. This paper introduces some code generation patterns that aid the production of Java based implementations from UML models. The work is motivated by a project to construct model driven development tools in support of the construction of embedded systems. This involves the specification and implementation of a number of meta-models (or models of languages). Many current UML oriented tools provide code generation facilities, in particular the generation of object-oriented code from class diagrams. However, many of the more complex aspects of class diagrams, such as qualified associations are not supported. In addition, several concepts introduced in UML version 2.0 are also not supported.The aim of the work presented in this paper is to develop a number of code generation patterns that allow us to support the automatic generation of Java code from UML class diagrams that support these new and complex association concepts. These patterns significantly improve the Communicated by Dr. Perdita Stevens. code generation abilities of UML tools, providing a useful automation facility that bridges the gap between the concept of an association and lower level object-oriented programming languages.

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