Anne Keller

Transformation Language Integration Based on Profiles and Higher Order Transformations

For about two decades, researchers have been constructing tools for applying graph transformations on large model transformation case studies. Instead of incrementally extending a common core, these competitive tool builders have repeatedly reconstructed mechanisms that were already supported by other tools. Not only has this been counter-productive, it has also prevented the definition of new language constructs independently of a specific transformation tool. Moreover, it has complicated the comparison of transformation languages. This paper describes a light-weight solution to this integration problem. The approach is based on executable transformation modeling using a small UML profile and on higher order transformations. It enables the integration of graph transformation tools such as Fujaba, VMTS and GReAT. The paper illustrates the approach by discussing the contribution of a Copy operator to any of these tools. Other language constructs can be realized similarly, without locking into specific tools.

Supporting inconsistency resolution through predictive change impact analysis

Today, model-driven software processes rely on consistency management approaches to deal with the multitude of inconsistencies that occur in large systems. To resolve a detected inconsistency, the software designer applies one resolution out of a set of resolution options to each inconsistency. To do so, the designer needs to understand the extent of changes posed by each resolution. In this paper we propose change impact analysis to support the designer in this task. We present a simple algorithm for predicting the impact of inconsistency resolutions by checking the instantiation of different meta-model relationships. Based on one small case study, we demonstrate that our algorithm provides a reasonable estimate for the number of changes that actually will be applied. We demonstrate the usage of impact analysis for inconsistency resolution and make a first step towards a decision support tool to help a software designer resolve inconsistencies.

Executing a Standard Compliant Transformation Model on a Non-standard Platform

Model-driven engineering is a software development method to model applications at a high level of abstraction and introduce platform specific details automatically using model transformations. Similarly, models specified in human-readable languages can be mapped automatically onto languages that support the analysis of formal properties. In an industrial context, the transformations that automate such mappings should be able to consume input models from various commercial tools. Unfortunately, such tools tend to store models in slightly different ways, not fully compliant to standards. Additional techniques are necessary to develop transformations in a platform independent manner instead of specific ones for each modeling tool. This paper illustrates such techniques on an example related to the transformation of visual process models (UML activity diagrams) into low-level algebraic (CSP) programs that support formal verification. In turn, the platform independent and human-readable transformation model is translated into code that can transform UML inputs even when these are non-standard.