Towards the uniform manipulation of visual and textual languages in AToM3

This is an electronic version of the paper presented at the III Jornadas de Programación y Lenguajes, held in Alicante on 2003This paper presents the approach taken in the multi-paradigm tool AToM3 for the integration of textual and visual languages in a uniform framework. The tool is used for the modelling, analysis and simulation of complex (physical or software) systems, where each system component may have to be described using a different formalism. The different visual or textual formalisms can be described in the form of meta-models using graphical, high-level notations such as Entity Relationship or UML class diagrams. From these descriptions, AToM3 is able to generate a customized modelling tool for the specified formalism. Models at any meta-level are stored as attributed, typed graphs and thus can be manipulated (simulated, transformed, optimized, etc.) by attributed graph grammars. In the case of a textual notation, from the meta-model description a front-end parser is semi-automatically generated that transforms the textual models into abstract syntax graphs (instances of the meta-model), and thus can be manipulated in a uniform way with the other visual notations. To illustrate these concepts, we present an example in which we define a meta-model for Computational Tree Logic and generate visual and textual parsers for the formalism.We would like to aknowledge the Spanish Ministry of Science and Technology (project TIC2002-01948) for partially supporting this work

A UML/OCL framework for the analysis of fraph transformation rules

In this paper we present an approach for the analysis of graph transformation rules based on an intermediate OCL representation. We translate different rule semantics into OCL, together with the properties of interest (like rule applicability, conflicts or independence). The intermediate representation serves three purposes: (i) it allows the seamless integration of graph transformation rules with the MOF and OCL standards, and enables taking the meta-model and its OCL constraints (i.e. well-formedness rules) into account when verifying the correctness of the rules; (ii) it permits the interoperability of graph transformation concepts with a number of standards-based model-driven development tools; and (iii) it makes available a plethora of OCL tools to actually perform the rule analysis. This approach is especially useful to analyse the operational semantics of Domain Specific Visual Languages. We have automated these ideas by providing designers with tools for the graphical specification and analysis of graph transformation rules, including a backannotation mechanism that presents the analysis results in terms of the original language notation

Support for Bidirectional Model-to-Text Transformations

In recent years, model-driven approaches and processes have established themselves as pragmatic and feasible solutions with tangible advantages. Transformations play a central role in any model-driven solution and, as interest in textual modelling grows, providing concepts and tools for supporting a high-level and declarative specification of bidirectional model-to-text transformations becomes a vital area of research. Our paper identifies important areas and scenarios for model-to-text transformations that are not or only partially supported by currently existing solutions. Based on the requirements of a real-world case study, we introduce a new concept that has been inspired by a successful bidirectional model-to-model transformation approach: Triple Graph Grammars

Integration of Triple Graph Grammars and Constraints

Metamodels are often augmented with additional constraints that must be satisfied by valid instances of these metamodels. Such constraints express complex conditions that cannot be expressed in the metamodel itself. Model transformations have to take such constraints of the source and target metamodels into account. Given a valid source model, which satisfies the source constraints, a model transformation is expected to return a valid target model (forward validity). However, in current model transformation definition and tool support, such an integration with source and target constraints including validation mechanisms is often ignored or not satisfactory yet.In this paper, we describe how the integration with source and target constraints can be achieved for the special case of model transformations defined by Triple Graph Grammars (TGGs). First, we extend the relational model transformation definition for TGGs and integrate it with source and target constraints. Moreover, we describe how forward/backward validity of TGGs with constraints can be automatically checked, either by static analysis using an invariant checker, or by generating and validating metamodel instances. Finally, we describe how to integrate constraints into our TGG-based model transformation implementation and automatic conformance testing framework

Model transformation by graph transformation: A comparative study

This is an electronic version of the paper presented at the Model Transformation in Practice, held in Montego Bay on 2005Graph transformation has been widely used for expressing model transformations. Especially transformations of visual models can be naturally formulated by graph transformations, since graphs are well suited to describe the underlying structures of models. Based on a common sample model transformation, four different model transformation approaches are presented which all perform graph transformations. At first, a basic solution is presented and crucial points of model transformations are indicated. Subsequent solutions focus mainly on the indicated problems. Finally, a first comparison of the chosen approaches to model transformation is presented where the main ingredients of each approach are summarized

Complex Attribute Manipulation in TGGs with Constraint-Based Programming Techniques

Model transformation plays a central role in Model-Driven Engineering (MDE) and providing bidirectional transformation languages is a current challenge with important applications.  Triple Graph Grammars (TGGs) are a formally founded,  bidirectional model transformation language shown by numerous case studies to be quite promising and successful.  Although TGGs provide adequate support for structural aspects via object  patterns in TGG rules, support for handling complex relationships between different attributes is still missing in current implementations.  For certain applications, such as bidirectional model-to-text transformations, being able to manipulate attributes via string manipulation or arithmetic operations in TGG rules is vital.  Our contribution in this paper is to formalize a TGG extension that provides a means for complex attribute manipulation in TGG rules.  Our extension is compatible with the existing TGG formalization, and retains the "single specification'' philosophy of TGGs

Evaluation of Kermeta for Solving Graph-based Problems

Kermeta is a meta-language for specifying the structure and behavior of graphs of interconnected objects called models. In this paper,\ud we show that Kermeta is relatively suitable for solving three graph-based\ud problems. First, Kermeta allows the specification of generic model\ud transformations such as refactorings that we apply to different metamodels\ud including Ecore, Java, and Uml. Second, we demonstrate the extensibility\ud of Kermeta to the formal language Alloy using an inter-language model\ud transformation. Kermeta uses Alloy to generate recommendations for\ud completing partially specified models. Third, we show that the Kermeta\ud compiler achieves better execution time and memory performance compared\ud to similar graph-based approaches using a common case study. The\ud three solutions proposed for those graph-based problems and their\ud evaluation with Kermeta according to the criteria of genericity,\ud extensibility, and performance are the main contribution of the paper.\ud Another contribution is the comparison of these solutions with those\ud proposed by other graph-based tools

Bidirectional Transformation "bx" (Dagstuhl Seminar 11031)

Bidirectional transformations bx are a mechanism for maintaining the consistency of two (or more) related sources of information. Researchers from many different areas of computer science including databases (DB), graph transformations (GT), software engineering (SE), and programming languages (PL) are actively investigating the use of bx to solve a diverse set of problems. Although researchers have been actively working on bidirectional transformations in the above mentioned communities for many years already, there has been very little cross-discipline interaction and cooperation so far. The purpose of a first International Meeting on Bidirectional Transformations (GRACE-BX), held in December 2008 near Tokyo, was therefore to bring together international elites, promising young researchers, and leading practitioners to share problems, discuss solutions, and open a dialogue towards understanding the common underpinnings of bx in all these areas. While the GRACE-BX meeting provided a starting point for exchanging ideas in different communities and confirmed our believe that there is a considerable overlap of studied problems and developed solutions in the identified communities, the Dagstuhl Seminar 11031 on ``Bidirectional Transformations\u27\u27 also aimed at providing a place for working together to define a common vocabulary of terms and desirable properties of bidirectional transformations, develop a suite of benchmarks, solve some challenging problems, and launch joint efforts to form a living bx community of cooperating experts across the identified subdisciplines. This report documents the program and the outcomes of Dagstuhl Seminar 11031 with abstracts of tutorials, working groups, and presentations on specific research topics

Instance Generation from Type Graphs with Arbitrary Multiplicities

Meta modeling is a wide-spread technique to define visual languages, with the UML being the most prominent one. Despite several advantages of meta modeling such as ease of use, the meta modeling approach has a major disadvantage: It does not offer a direct means for generating its language elements. This disadvantage poses a severe limitation on certain applications. For example, when developing model transformations, it is desirable to have enough valid instance models available for large-scale testing. Producing such a large set by hand is tedious. In the related problem of compiler testing, a string grammar together with a simple generation algorithm is typically used to produce words of the language automatically. In this paper, we formalize a restricted form of meta-models by type graphs with multiplicities and introduce instance-generating graph grammars for creating instance graphs representing the abstract syntax structures of models. Thereby, a further step is taken to overcome the main deficit of the meta-modeling approach