Evolution specification evaluation in industrial MDSE ecosystems

Domain-specific languages (DSLs) allow users to model systems using concepts from a specific domain. Evolution of DSLs triggers co-evolution of models developed in these languages. When the number of models that needs to co-evolve increases, so does the required effort to do so. This is called the co-evolution problem. We have investigated the extent of the co-evolution problem at ASML [1], provider of lithography equipment for the semiconductor industry. Here we have described the structure and evolution of a large-scale ecosystem of DSLs. We have observed that due to the large number of artifacts that require coevolutionary activity, manual solutions have become unfeasible, and an automated approach is required. A popular approach for automating co-evolution is the operator-based approach. In this paper we have evaluated the operator-based approach on a large-scale industrial case-study of twenty-two DSLs and 95 model-to-model transformations with a revision history of over three years, and have revealed deficiencies in existing operator libraries. To address these deficiencies we have presented a topdown methodology to derive a complete set of operators

User Experience for Model-Driven Engineering : Challenges and Future Directions

Since its infancy, Model Driven Engineering (MDE) research has primarily focused on technical issues. Although it is becoming increasingly common for MDE research papers to evaluate their theoretical and practical solutions, extensive usability studies are still uncommon. We observe a scarcity of User eXperience (UX)-related research in the MDE community, and posit that many existing tools and languages have room for improvement with respect to UX [26], [44], [37], where UX is a key focus area in the software development industry. We consider this gap a fundamental problem that needs to be addressed by the community if MDE is to gain widespread use. In this vision paper, we explore how and where UX fits into MDE by considering motivating use cases that revolve around different dimensions of integration: model integration, tool integration, and integration between process and tool support. Based on the literature and our collective experience in research and industrial collaborations, we propose future directions for addressing these challenges

On the Specification of Non-functional Properties of Systems by Observation

Domain specific languages play a cornerstone role in Model-Driven Engineering (MDE) for representing models and metamodels. So far, most of the MDE community efforts have focused on the specification of the functional properties of systems. However, the correct and complete specification of some of their non-functional properties is critical in many important distributed application domains, such as embedded systems, multimedia applications or e-commerce services. In this paper we present an approach to specify QoS requirements, based on the observation of the system actions and of the state of its objects. We show how this approach can be used to extend languages which specify behavior in terms of rules, and how QoS characteristics can be easily expressed and reused across models. We show as well how this approach enables the specification of other important properties of systems, such as automatic reconfiguration of the system when some of the QoS properties change.Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación TIN2008-031087Junta de Andalucía P07-TIC-0318

SEMKIS-DSL: A Domain-Specific Language to Support Requirements Engineering of Datasets and Neural Network Recognition

Neural network (NN) components are being increasingly incorporated into software systems. Neural network properties are determined by their architecture, as well as the training and testing datasets used. The engineering of datasets and neural networks is a challenging task that requires methods and tools to satisfy customers’ expectations. The lack of tools that support requirements specification languages makes it difficult for engineers to describe dataset and neural network recognition skill requirements. Existing approaches often rely on traditional ad hoc approaches, without precise requirement specifications for data selection criteria, to build these datasets. Moreover, these approaches do not focus on the requirements of the neural network’s expected recognition skills. We aim to overcome this issue by defining a domain-specific language that precisely specifies dataset requirements and expected recognition skills after training for an NN-based system. In this paper, we present a textual domain-specific language (DSL) called SEMKIS-DSL (Software Engineering Methodology for the Knowledge management of Intelligent Systems) that is designed to support software engineers in specifying the requirements and recognition skills of neural networks. This DSL is proposed in the context of our general SEMKIS development process for neural network engineering. We illustrate the DSL’s concepts using a running example that focuses on the recognition of handwritten digits. We show some requirements and recognition skills specifications and demonstrate how our DSL improves neural network recognition skills

A taxonomy of tool-related issues affecting the adoption of model-driven engineering

Although poor tool support is often blamed for the low uptake of model-driven engineering (MDE), recent studies have shown that adoption problems are as likely to be down to social and organizational factors as with tooling issues. This article discusses the impact of tools on MDE adoption and practice and does so while placing tooling within a broader organizational context. The article revisits previous data on MDE use in industry (19 in-depth interviews with MDE practitioners) and reanalyzes that data through the specific lens of MDE tools in an attempt to identify and categorize the issues that users had with the tools they adopted. In addition, the article presents new data: 20 new interviews in two specific companies—and analyzes it through the same lens. A key contribution of the paper is a loose taxonomy of tool-related considerations, based on empirical industry data, which can be used to reflect on the tooling landscape as well as inform future research on MDE tools

Spectrum-Based Fault Localization in Model Transformations

Model transformations play a cornerstone role in Model-Driven Engineering (MDE), as they provide the essential mechanisms for manipulating and transforming models. The correctness of software built using MDE techniques greatly relies on the correctness of model transformations. However, it is challenging and error prone to debug them, and the situation gets more critical as the size and complexity of model transformations grow, where manual debugging is no longer possible. Spectrum-Based Fault Localization (SBFL) uses the results of test cases and their corresponding code coverage information to estimate the likelihood of each program component (e.g., statements) of being faulty. In this article we present an approach to apply SBFL for locating the faulty rules in model transformations. We evaluate the feasibility and accuracy of the approach by comparing the effectiveness of 18 different stateof- the-art SBFL techniques at locating faults in model transformations. Evaluation results revealed that the best techniques, namely Kulcynski2, Mountford, Ochiai, and Zoltar, lead the debugger to inspect a maximum of three rules to locate the bug in around 74% of the cases. Furthermore, we compare our approach with a static approach for fault localization in model transformations, observing a clear superiority of the proposed SBFL-based method.Comisión Interministerial de Ciencia y Tecnología TIN2015-70560-RJunta de Andalucía P12-TIC-186

Applying Model-Driven Engineering to Development Scenarios for Web Content Management System Extensions

Web content management systems (WCMSs) such as WordPress, Joomla or Drupal have established themselves as popular platforms for instantiating dynamic web applications. Using a WCMS instance allows developers to add additional functionality by implementing installable extension packages. However, extension developers are challenged by dealing with boilerplate code, dependencies between extensions and frequent architectural changes to the underlying WCMS platform. These challenges occur in frequent development scenarios that include initial development and maintenance of extensions as well as migration of existing extension code to new platforms. A promising approach to overcome these challenges is represented by model-driven engineering (MDE). Adopting MDE as development practice, allows developers to define software features within reusable models which abstract the technical knowledge of the targeted system. Using these models as input for platform-specific code generators enables a rapid transformation to standardized software of high quality. However, MDE has not found adoption during extension development in the WCMS domain, due to missing tool support. The results of empirical studies in different domains demonstrate the benefits of MDE. However, empirical evidence of these benefits in the WCMS domain is currently lacking. In this work, we present the concepts and design of an MDE infrastructure for the development and maintenance of WCMS extensions. This infrastructure provides a domain-specific modelling language (DSL) for WCMS extensions, as well as corresponding model editors. In addition, the MDE infrastructure facilitates a set of transformation tools to apply forward and reverse engineering steps. This includes a code generator that uses model instances of the introduced DSL, an extension extractor for code extraction of already deployed WCMS extensions, and a model extraction tool for the creation of model instances based on an existing extension package. To ensure adequacy of the provided MDE infrastructure, we follow a structured research methodology. First, we investigate the representativeness of common development scenarios by conducting interviews with industrial practitioners from the WCMS domain. Second, we propose a general solution concept for these scenarios including involved roles, process steps, and MDE infrastructure facilities. Third, we specify functional and non-functional requirements for an adequate MDE infrastructure, including the expectations of domain experts. To show the applicability of these concepts, we introduce JooMDD as infrastructure instantiation for the Joomla WCMS which provides the most sophisticated extension mechanism in the domain. To gather empirical evidence of the positive impact of MDE during WCMS extension development, we present a mixed-methods empirical investigation with extension developers from the Joomla community. First, we share the method, results and conclusions of a controlled experiment conducted with extension developers from academia and industry. The experiment compares conventional extension development with MDE using the JooMDD infrastructure, focusing on the development of dependent and independent extensions. The results show a clear gain in productivity and quality by using the JooMDD infrastructure. Second, we share the design and observations of a semi-controlled tutorial with four experienced developers who had to apply the JooMDD infrastructure during three scenarios of developing new (both independent and dependent) extensions and of migrating existing ones to a new major platform version. The aim of this study was to obtain direct qualitative feedback about acceptance, usefulness, and open challenges of our MDE approach. Finally, we share lessons learned and discuss the threats to validity of the conducted studies

Ontologies in domain specific languages : a systematic literature review

The systematic literature review conducted in this paper explores the current techniques employed to leverage the development of DSLs using ontologies. Similarities and differences between ontologies and DSLs, techniques to combine DSLs with ontologies, the rationale of these techniques and challenges in the DSL approaches addressed by the used techniques have been investigated. Details about these topics have been provided for each relevant research paper that we were able to investigate in the limited amount of time of one month. At the same time, a synthesis describing the main trends in all the topics mentioned above has been done