Taming EMF and GMF Using Model Transformation

El acceso a la versión del editor puede requerir la suscripción del recurso Access to the published version may require subscriptionExample-based generation of graphical modelling environmentsJesús J. López-Fernández, Antonio Garmendia, Esther Guerra, Juan de LaraAbstract. Domain-Specific Languages (DSLs) present numerous benefits like powerful domain-specific primitives, an intuitive syntax for domain experts, and the possibility of advanced code generation for narrow domains. While a graphical syntax is sometimes desired for a DSL, constructing graphical modelling environments is a costly and highly technical task. This relegates domain experts to play a passive role in their development and hinders a wider adoption of graphical DSLs. Targeting a simpler DSL construction process, we propose an examplebased technique for the automatic generation of modelling environments for graphical DSLs. This way, starting from examples of the DSL likely provided by domain experts using drawing tools like yED, our system is able to synthesize a graphical modelling environment that mimics the syntax of the provided examples. This includes a meta-model for the abstract syntax of the DSL, and a graphical concrete syntax supporting spatial relationships like containment or attachment. The system is implemented as an Eclipse plugin, and we demonstrate its usage on a running example in the home networking domain.

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“…We currently target Sirius [17], but other technologies like EuGENia [11] could be easily targeted as well. Fig.…”

Section: Generation Of Graphical Modelling Environmentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Many tools have emerged along the years to build environments for graphical DSLs [3,5,6,10,11,17]. However, building such environments still remains a technical, complex and time-consuming task.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Example-Based Generation of Graphical Modelling Environments

López-Fernández

Garmendía

Guerra

et al. 2016

Modelling Foundations and Applications

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“…The advent of Eclipse has promoted frameworks to construct visual editors as plugins, like Tiger [1], GMF [6], Eugenia [9], Spray [11], Graphiti [7], or Sirius [10]. All these tools are model-based, except Graphiti which provides a Java API for coding.…”

Section: Related Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

Towards the Generation of Graphical Modelling Environments Aided by Patterns

Garmendía

Pescador

Guerra

et al. 2015

Communications in Computer and Information Science

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Abstract. Model-Driven Engineering (MDE) promotes the use of models to conduct all phases of software development in an automated way. Such models are described using Domain Specific Modelling Languages (DSMLs). While the definition of DSMLs and their supporting environments are recurring activities in MDE, they are mostly developed ad-hoc from scratch. This paper proposes the use of patterns to describe the abstract and concrete graphical syntax of DSMLs, and to automate the generation of a graphical modelling environment for them.

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“…Another issue that makes meta-model construction cumbersome is the fact that meta-models frequently need to be fine-tuned depending on their intended use: designing a textual modelling language (e.g., with Xtext 1 ), a graphical language (e.g., with GMF [33] or Eugenia [39]), or the source or target of a transformation. As illustrated in Figure 1, the particular meta-model usage may impact on its design, for instance to decide whether a connection should be implemented as a reference (e.g., for simple graphical visualization), as an intermediate class (e.g., for a more complex visualization, or to enable iterating on all connection instances), as a bidirectional association (e.g., to allow back navigation if it is used in a transformation), or as an intermediate class with composition (e.g., to enable scoping).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Example-driven meta-model development

et al. 2013

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The intensive use of models in ModelDriven Engineering (MDE) raises the need to develop meta-models with different aims, like the construction of textual and visual modelling languages and the specification of source and target ends of model-to-model transformations. While domain experts have the knowledge about the concepts of the domain, they usually lack the skills to build meta-models. Moreover, meta-models typically need to be tailored according to their future usage and specific implementation platform, which demands knowledge available only to engineers with great expertise in specific MDE platforms. These issues hinder a wider adoption of MDE both by domain experts and software engineers.In order to alleviate this situation, we propose an interactive, iterative approach to meta-model construction enabling the specification of example model fragments by domain experts, with the possibility of using informal drawing tools like Dia or yED. These fragments can be annotated with hints about the intention or needs for certain elements. A meta-model is then automatically induced, which can be refactored in an interactive way, and then compiled into an implementation metamodel using profiles and patterns for different platforms and purposes. Our approach includes the use of a virtual assistant, which provides suggestions for improving the meta-model based on well-known refactorings, and a validation mode, enabling the validation of the meta-model by means of examples.

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Taming EMF and GMF Using Model Transformation

Cited by 57 publications

References 5 publications

Example-Based Generation of Graphical Modelling Environments

Example-Based Generation of Graphical Modelling Environments

Towards the Generation of Graphical Modelling Environments Aided by Patterns

Example-driven meta-model development

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