EMorF - A tool for model transformations

In this paper, we present EMorF - a model transformation tool for EMF. EMorF supports the specification and execution of in-place model transformations as well as model-to-model transformations. The graphical though formal specification is based on (triple-) graph grammars, which are executed by an interpreter system. Inthis paper, we focus on the provided tool support for the development and execution of model transformations

Understanding bidirectional transformations with TGGs and JTL

In Model-Driven Engineering bidirectional model transformations emerged as an important ingredient to cope with scenarios such as change propagation, synchronization and to keep consistent system views whenever changes occurring on some view have to be propagated over the others. However, bidirectional mappings open a number of intricate issues that have been only partially solved by research.This paper identifies a set of features characterizing bidirectional transformations and validates them against two existing approaches. In particular, a scenario based on the UML2RDBMS transformation and consisting of two different configurations is implemented by means of two different approaches, such as Triple Graph Grammars and the Janus Transformation Language, for understanding bidirectional transformations with respect to the elicited features

VICToRy: Visual Interactive Consistency Management in Tolerant Rule-based Systems

In the field of Model-Driven Engineering, there exist numerous tools that support various consistency management operations including model transformation, synchronisation and consistency checking. The supported operations, however, typically run completely in the background with only input and output made visible to the user. We argue that this often reduces both understandability and controllability. As a step towards improving this situation, we present VICToRy, a debugger for model generation and transformation based on Triple Graph Grammars, a well-known rule-based approach to bidirectional transformation. In addition to a fine-grained, step-by-step, interactive visualisation, VICToRy enables the user to actively explore and choose between multiple valid rule applications thus improving control and understanding.Comment: In Proceedings GCM 2020, arXiv:2012.0118

7th International Workshop on Graph Based Tools (GraBaTs 2012): Preface

The 7th International Workshop on Graph Based Tools is the continuation of the GraBaTs series of workshops which provides a forum for researchers and practitioners interested in the development and application of graph-based tools. The purpose of this workshop is to survey the state of the art of graph-based tools, bring together developers of graph-based tools in different application fields and to encourage new tool development cooperations. GraBaTs 2012 is the 7th edition in a line of workshops which started 10 years ago at ICGT'02

Comparing Reuse Mechanisms for Model Transformation Languages: Design for an Empirical Study

ABSTRACT Reuse mechanisms for model transformation languages help avoid duplication, thereby increasing maintainability and enabling a more systematic overall development process. As the introduction of such reuse mechanisms to model transformation languages is still in its preliminary stages, however, language designers are currently faced with the challenge of choosing from amongst diverse proposed approaches. Although there are a few surveys comparing syntactic and semantic differences, there is still a need for empirical studies on the actual effectiveness of different reuse mechanisms for transformation developers. In this paper, therefore, we present a study design for a controlled experiment to investigate the benefits and drawbacks of two specific reuse mechanisms for model transformation languages: rule refinement and variability-based rules. Both mechanisms are tailored to graph-based model transformation languages, yet represent two contrasting reuse paradigms: modularizing rules by composing them from smaller, shared fragments, versus maintaining a single, integrated representation via variability annotations. We propose to compare these two approaches using comprehension and bug-finding tasks to investigate understandability, and bug-fixing and modification tasks to study changeability

A Comparison of Incremental Triple Graph Grammar Tools

Triple Graph Grammars (TGGs) are a graph-based and visual technique for specifying bidirectional model transformation. TGGs can be used to transform models from scratch (in the batch mode), but the real potential of TGGs lies in propagating updates incrementally. Existing TGG tools differ considerably in their incremental mode concerning underlying algorithms, user-oriented aspects, incremental update capabilities, and formal properties. Indeed, the different foci, strengths, and weaknesses of current TGG tools in the incremental mode are difficult to discern, especially for non-developers. In this paper, we close this gap by (i) identifying a set of criteria for a qualitative comparison of TGG tools in the incremental mode, (ii) comparing three prominent incremental TGG tools with regard to these criteria, and (iii) conducting a quantitative comparison by means of runtime measurements