Richard F. Paige

The Epsilon Transformation Language

Support for automated model transformation is essential for realizing a Model Driven Development (MDD) process. However, model transformation is only one of the many tools in a model engineering toolkit. To apply MDD in the large, automated support for a number of additional tasks such as model comparison, merging, validation and model-to-text transformation, is essential. While a number of successful model transformation languages have been currently proposed, the majority of them have been developed in isolation and as a result, they face consistency and integration difficulties with languages that support other model management tasks. We present the Epsilon Transformation Language (ETL), a hybrid model transformation language that has been developed atop the infrastructure provided by the Epsilon model management platform. By building atop Epsilon, ETL is seamlessly integrated with a number of other task-specific languages to help to realize composite model management workflows.

The epsilon object language (EOL)

Model-Driven Development requires model management languages and tools for supporting model operations such as editing, consistency checking, and transformation. At the core of these model management techniques is a set of facilities for model navigation and modification. A subset of the Object Constraint Language can be used for some of these tasks, but it has limitations as a general-purpose language to be used in a variety of model management tasks. We present the metamodel independent Epsilon Object Language (EOL) which builds on OCL. EOL can be used both as a standalone generic model management language or as infrastructure on which task-specific languages can be built. We describe how it has been used to construct a selection of languages, such as model merging, comparison, and text generation languages.

Large-scale complex IT systems

The reductionism behind todays software-engineering methods breaks down in the face of systems complexity.

Different models for model matching: An analysis of approaches to support model differencing

Calculating differences between models is an important and challenging task in Model Driven Engineering. Model differencing involves a number of steps starting with identifying matching model elements, calculating and representing their differences, and finally visualizing them in an appropriate way. In this paper, we provide an overview of the fundamental steps involved in the model differencing process and summarize the advantages and shortcomings of existing approaches for identifying matching model elements. To assist potential users in selecting one of the existing methods for the problem at stake, we investigate the trade-offs these methods impose in terms of accuracy and effort required to implement each one of them.

Model migration with epsilon flock

In their recent book, Mens and Demeyer state that Model-Driven Engineering introduces additional challenges for controlling and managing software evolution. Today, tools exist for generating model editors and for managing models with transformation, validation, merging and weaving. There is limited support, however, for model migration - a development activity in which instance models are updated in response to metamodel evolution. In this paper, we describe Epsilon Flock, a model-to-model transformation language tailored for model migration that contributes a novel algorithm for relating source and target model elements. To demonstrate its conciseness, we compare Flock to other approaches.

Model comparison: a foundation for model composition and model transformation testing

In the context of Model Driven Development, Model Transformation and Model Composition are two essential model management tasks. In this paper, we demonstrate how both tasks can benefit, in different ways, from the automation of another fundamental task: Model Comparison. We derive requirements for a model comparison solution incrementally, and demonstrate a concrete rule-based model comparison approach we have developed in the context of a generic model merging language.

The Epsilon Generation Language

We present the Epsilon Generation Language (EGL), a model-to-text (M2T) transformation language that is a component in a model management tool chain. The distinctive features of EGL are described, in particular its novel design which inherits a number of language concepts and logical features from a base model navigation and modification language. The value of being able to use a M2T language as part of an extensible model management tool chain is outlined in a case study, and EGL is compared to other M2T languages.

Metamodel-based model conformance and multiview consistency checking

Model-driven development, using languages such as UML and BON, often makes use of multiple diagrams (e.g., class and sequence diagrams) when modeling systems. These diagrams, presenting different views of a system of interest, may be inconsistent. A metamodel provides a unifying framework in which to ensure and check consistency, while at the same time providing the means to distinguish between valid and invalid models, that is, conformance. Two formal specifications of the metamodel for an object-oriented modeling language are presented, and it is shown how to use these specifications for model conformance and multiview consistency checking. Comparisons are made in terms of completeness and the level of automation each provide for checking multiview consistency and model conformance. The lessons learned from applying formal techniques to the problems of metamodeling, model conformance, and multiview consistency checking are summarized.

A canonical scheme for model composition

There is little agreement on terminology in model composition, and even less on key characteristics of a model composition solution. We present three composition frameworks: the Atlas Model Weaver, the Epsilon Merging Language, and the Glue Generator Tool, and from them derive a core set of common definitions. We use this to outline the key requirements of a model composition solution, in terms of language and tool support.

Process-centered review of object oriented software development methodologies

We provide a detailed review of existing object-oriented software development methodologies, focusing on their development processes. The review aims at laying bare their core philosophies, processes, and internal activities. This is done by using a process-centered template for summarizing the methodologies, highlighting the activities prescribed in the methodology while describing the modeling languages used (mainly diagrams and tables) as secondary to the activities. The descriptions produced using this template aim not to offer a critique on the methodologies and processes, but instead provide an abstract and structured description in a way that facilitates their elaborate analysis for the purposes of improving understanding, and making it easier to tailor, select, and evaluate the processes.