A Model Driven Approach to Model Transformations

The OMG's Model Driven Architecture (MDA) initiative has been the focus of much attention in both academia and industry, due to its promise of more rapid and consistent software development through the increased use of models. In order for MDA to reach its full potential, the ability to manipulate and transform models { most obviously from the Platform Independent Model (PIM) to the Platform Specific Models (PSM) { is vital. Recognizing this need, the OMG issued a Request For Proposals (RFP) largely concerned with finding a suitable mechanism for trans- forming models. This paper outlines the relevant background material, summarizes the approach taken by the QVT-Partners (to whom the authors belong), presents a non-trivial example using the QVT-Partners approach, and finally sketches out what the future holds for model transformations

Model transformations and Tool Integration

Model transformations are increasingly recognised as being of significant importance to many areas of software development and integration. Recent attention on model transformations has particularly focused on the OMGs Queries/Views/Transformations (QVT) Request for Proposals (RFP). In this paper I motivate the need for dedicated approaches to model transformations, particularly for the data involved in tool integration, outline the challenges involved, and then present a number of technologies and techniques which allow the construction of flexible, powerful and practical model transformations

Integrating Refinement into Software Development Tools

AbstractIt is a challenge for automatic tool support to formal design by refinement transformations. In this paper, we bring this matter to the attention of the research community and discuss a component-based model transformational approach for integrating refinement into software development tools. Models, their consistency and correctness, in an object-oriented and component-based development process are defined in rCOS, that is a refinement calculus recently developed at UNU-IIST. Correctness preserving transformations between models are formalized and proved as refinement rules in rCOS. In this paper, we will discuss on how these transformations can be implemented in the relations language of Query/View/Transformation (QVT) standardized by OMG

Towards rigorously faking bidirectional model transformations

Bidirectional model transformations (bx) are mechanisms for auto-matically restoring consistency between multiple concurrently modified models. They are, however, challenging to implement; many model transformation languages not supporting them at all. In this paper, we propose an approach for automatically obtaining the consistency guarantees of bx without the complexities of a bx language. First, we show how to “fake” true bidirectionality using pairs of unidirectional transformations and inter-model consistency constraints in Epsilon. Then, we propose to automatically verify that these transformations are consistency preserving — thus indistinguishable from true bx — by defining translations to graph rewrite rules and nested conditions, and leveraging recent proof calculi for graph transformation verification

Transforming OCL to PVS: Using Theorem Proving Support for Analysing Model Constraints

The Unified Modelling Language (UML) is a de facto standard language for describing software systems. UML models are often supplemented with Object Constraint Language (OCL) constraints, to capture detailed properties of components and systems. Sophisticated tools exist for analysing UML models, e.g., to check that well-formedness rules have been satisfied. As well, tools are becoming available to analyse and reason about OCL constraints. Previous work has been done on analysing OCL constraints by translating them to formal languages and then analysing the translated constraints with tools such as theorem provers. This project contributes a transformation from OCL to the specification language of the Prototype Verification System (PVS). PVS can be used to analyse and reason about translated OCL constraints. A particular novelty of this project is that it carries out the transformation of OCL to PVS by using model transformation, as exemplified by the OMG's Model-Driven Architecture. The project implements and automates model transformations from OCL to PVS using the Epsilon Transformation Language (ETL) and tests the results using the Epsilon Comparison Language (ECL )

Feature-Based Classification of Bidirectional Transformation Approaches

International audienceBidirectional model transformation is a key technology in model-driven engineering (MDE), when two models that can change over time have to be kept constantly consistent with each other. While several model transformation tools include at least a partial support to bidirectionality, it is not clear how these bidirectional capabilities relate to each other and to similar classical problems in computer science, from the view update problem in databases to bidirectional graph transformations. This paper tries to clarify and visualize the space of design choices for bidirectional transformations from an MDE point of view, in the form of a feature model. The selected list of existing approaches are characterized by mapping them to the feature model. Then, the feature model is used to highlight some unexplored research lines in bidirectional transformations

Нечіткий трансформаційний підхід до розробки програмних систем

У роботі дається огляд основних категорій трансформаційних підходів та формалізується процес розробки програмного забезпечення на основі нечітких графових моделей. Модель програмної системи представляється у вигляді нечіткого графу, вершинами якого є сутності та об’єкти. Процес розробки програмного забезпечення складається у виконанні системи трансформацій над нечіткими графами. Продемонстровано, що на основі нечіткої моделі більш адекватно, ніж на основі двозначної логіки, можна формалізувати розуміння правил розробниками програмного забезпечення завдяки можливості описати лінгвістичні вирази, що зустрічаються в реальних проектах.In paper the overview of main categories of the transformational approaches is given and the process of software development on the base of fuzzy graph models is formalized. A model of the software system is represented as the fuzzy graph, which nodes are the entities and objects. A process of software development consists in implementation of a system of transformations on the fuzzy graphs. It is shown, that on the base of fuzzy model more adequate, than on the base of two-valued logic, it is possible to formalize perception of the rules by the software developers due to a possibility to describe linguistic expressions, which meet in the real projects

Usando ATL en la transformación de modelos multidimensionales temporales

Model-Driven Architecture (MDA) is a widely accepted approach to the complex software systems design. MDA\nproposes the use of models in every software development phase, from specification and analysis to implementation.\nModel transformation is the foundation of MDA, starting from a platform independent model, the aim is to achieve\nmore specific models, in each step. According to this philosophy we present a temporal multidimensional design\nmethodology which allows us to define concepts independently of any implementation issue. In the present work our\naim is using ATL (Atlas Trasformation Language) to define both the metamodel and the transformation rules for\nproviding a framework to derive a relational logical schema from an abstract temporal data model. Additionally we\nare designing an Eclipse plug-in for implementing the transformation.Model-Driven Architecture (MDA) es un enfoque ampliamente aceptado para el desarrollo de sistemas de software complejos. MDA propone el uso de modelos en todas las fases de desarrollo, desde la especificación y análisis hasta la implementación. La transformación de modelos es la base de MDA; comenzando por un modelo independiente de la plataforma el objetivo es lograr, en cada paso, modelos más específicos. Adhiriendo a esta filosofía, presentamos una metodología para el diseño de un datawarehouse temporal que permite definir los conceptos independientemente de la implementación. En el presente trabajo, nuestro propósito consiste en la definición de metamodelos y reglas de transformación usando ATL (Atlas Trasformation Language) que provean un marco para la derivación de un esquema lógico relacional a partir de un modelo de datos conceptual temporal. Además, estamos diseñando un plug-in en Eclipse para implementar dicha transformación.IV Workshop de Ingeniería de Software y Base de Dato

A change propagating model transformation language

Model transformations are a key component in Model Driven Development, but most approaches only allow `one shot' transformations to be expressed. Change propagating model transformations are those which can make suitable updates to models after an initial transformation. In this paper I outline the challenges presented by change prop- agating model transformations, before presenting a new change propagating model transformation approach