Cédric Dumoulin

19 Papyrus: A UML2 Tool for Domain-Specific Language Modeling

This chapter outlines Papyrus, a tool for graphical modeling of UML2 applications. It is an open-source project, designed as an Eclipse component, and based on the existing EMF-based realization of the UML2 meta-model. The goal of this open-source project is twofold. First, it is a complete, efficient, robust, and methodologically agnostic implementation of a UML2 tool to both industry and academia. Second, it is an open and flexible facility for defining and utilizing domain-specific modeling languages using a very advanced implementation of the UML profile concept.

Metamodels and MDA Transformations for Embedded Systems

Embedded system design needs to model together application and hardware architecture. For that a huge number of models are available, each one proposing its own abstraction level associated to its own software platform for simulation or synthesis. To produce a co-design framework, we are obviously obliged to support different models among all possible ones. Between these models we should produce automatic transformations. Each time a new model is included in the framework, we should develop a new transformation.

Papyrus: a UML2 tool for domain-specific language modeling

This chapter outlines Papyrus, a tool for graphical modeling of UML2 applications. It is an open-source project, designed as an Eclipse component, and based on the existing EMF-based realization of the UML2 meta-model. The goal of this open-source project is twofold. First, it is a complete, efficient, robust, and methodologically agnostic implementation of a UML2 tool to both industry and academia. Second, it is an open and flexible facility for defining and utilizing domain-specific modeling languages using a very advanced implementation of the UML profile concept.

On the Semantic Transparency of Visual Notations: Experiments with UML

Graphical notations designed by committees in the context of standardization bodies, like Object Management Group OMG, are widely used in the industry and academia. Naive users of these notations have limited background on visualization, documentation and specification of workflows, data or software systems. Several studies have pointed out the fact that these notations do not convey any particular semantics and their understanding is not perceptually immediate. As reported in these studies, this lack of semantic transparency increases the cognitive load to differentiate between concepts, slows down the learning and comprehension of the language constructs. This paper reports on a set of experiments that confirm the lack of semantic transparency of the Unified Modeling Language UML as designed by OMG and compares this standard to alternative solutions where naive users are involved in the design of the notations to speed-up the learning of these languages to new users.

Enhancing the communication value of UML models with graphical layers

UML is defined as a visual modeling language for specifying, constructing, and documenting software intensive systems. In that context, UML diagrams play a central role in the whole software engineering process, starting from early analysis, through implementation, to maintenance. Recent surveys of UML use in industry showed that software practitioners use it on a regular basis, and particularly for communication and as a mental-assist tool. However, they also pointed out the following weaknesses: the lack of context, graphical layout problems, and the languages inadequacy as a facility for communication between technical teams and their clients. In this paper, we present a general approach that addresses these problems by enhancing the effectiveness of UML models as a communication vehicle. Our approach is based on expressing stakeholder-specific viewpoints through the use of secondary notations. This involves the use of auxiliary visual variables (e.g., color, position, size) that are not formally specified in UML. To that end, we extend the traditional concept of layer found in many graphical editors to UML diagram editors. FlipLayers is an implementation of our approach. It is in the form of a plugin for the Papyrus modeling environment. One scenario with several case studies is presented in the paper to demonstrate the benefits of our approach and also to illustrate how to express viewpoints with FlipLayers.

MID: A MetaCASE Tool for a Better Reuse of Visual Notations

Modeling tools facilitate the development process from modeling to coding. Such tools can be designed using a Model-Driven approach in metamodeling environments called MetaCASE tools. However, current MetaCASE tools still require, in most cases, manual programming to build full tool support for the modeling language. In this paper, we want to specify, using models, diagram editors with a high graphical expressiveness without any need for manual intervention. The second axis is dedicated to the reuse of this specification in other contexts. The redundancy in a diagram editor specification raises the problem of inconsistency during the evolution or the update of this specification. We propose then MID, a tool based on a set of metamodels supporting the easy specification of modeling editors with reusable components.

Papyrus: A UML2 Tool for Domain-Specific Language Modeling Model-Based Engineering of Embedded Real-Time Systems

This chapter outlines Papyrus, a tool for graphical modeling of UML2 applications. It is an open-source project, designed as an Eclipse component, and based on the existing EMF-based realization of the UML2 meta-model. The goal of this open-source project is twofold. First, it is a complete, efficient, robust, and methodologically agnostic implementation of a UML2 tool to both industry and academia. Second, it is an open and flexible facility for defining and utilizing domain-specific modeling languages using a very advanced implementation of the UML profile concept.