We present the EMF Model Transformation framework (EMT), which supports the rule-based modification of EMF models.

Model transformation rules are defined graphically and compiled into Java code to be used in model transformation applications

Biermann, E.

Ehrig, K.

Ermel, C.

Krause, , (Christian) C. (born Köhler, , C.)

Taentzer, G.

English

CWI's Institutional Repository

The EMF Model Transformation FrameworkEnrico Biermann1, Karsten Ehrig2, Claudia Ermel1, Christian Ko¨hler3, andGabriele Taentzer41 Institut fu¨r Softwaretechnik und Theoretische Informatik, TU Berlin, Germany2 Department of Computer Science, University of Leicester, UK3 Department of Software Engineering, CWI Amsterdam, The Netherlands4 Fachbereich Mathematik und Informatik, Universita¨t Marburg, Germanyemftrans@cs.tu-berlin.dehttp://tfs.cs.tu-berlin.de/emftransAbstract. We present the EMF Model Transformation framework(EMT), which supports the rule-based modification of EMF models.Model transformation rules are defined graphically and compiled intoJava code to be used in model transformation applications.Introduction. The Eclipse Modeling Framework (EMF)[1] provides a model-ing and code generation framework for Eclipse applications based on structureddata models. The goal of the EMF Model Transformation framework (EMT) isto support the modification of EMF models based on graphical EMF modeltransformation rules. EMT currently consists of three components: a graphicaleditor for EMF model transformation rules, a compiler, generating Java codefrom these rules to be used in further projects, and an interpreter for the execu-tion of the rules using AGG [2], a graph transformation tool environment.Definition of EMF Model Transformations. Transformations of EMF mod-els are defined by transformation rules. Each rule consists of a left-hand side(LHS), a right-hand side (RHS), possible negative application conditions (NACs)and mappings between these object structures. An object structure consists of anumber of possibly linked objects conforming to the EMF models for which thetransformation is defined. Each of these structures is visualized in the graphi-cal editor by a diagram that contains a number of object nodes which can beconnected and/or attributed.The left-hand side of a rule formulates the structural preconditions that mustbe fulfilled to apply the rule. Accordingly, a right-hand side describes the result(or postconditions) of a rule. Negative application conditions are defined in thesame way and describe structural conditions that must not be fulfilled for ruleapplication. Furthermore it is possible to define a layer for each rule. Rules onlower layers are applied prior to those on higher layers. Attributes of an objectcan be calculated using Java. Each expression may contain variables defined inthe context of the rule the expression is used in.Fig. 1 shows a screenshot of EMT where a model transformation from activitydiagrams to Petri nets is defined. The loaded EMF models are shown in the lowercenter, while a three-pane rule editor is depicted above. Corresponding objectsA. Schu¨rr, M. Nagl, and A. Zu¨ndorf (Eds.): AGTIVE 2007, LNCS 5088, pp. 566–567, 2008.c© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2008The EMF Model Transformation Framework 567Fig. 1. EMF model transformation perspectivein these panes are colored equally to visualize rule mappings. The EMT compilergenerates a Java class for each defined rule. Such a class contains methods forsetting rule parameters, checking applicability, as well as performing and undoingrule applications which change models in-place.Applications of the EMT framework so far include endogenous model trans-formations such as the extension of Eclipse GMF-generated editors by complexeditor commands [3], as well as refactoring of EMF models [4,5], and exogenousmodel transformations from class diagrams to relational date bases, from activitydiagrams to Petri nets and from UML to CSP.References1. Eclipse Consortium: Eclipse Modeling Framework (EMF) – Version 2.2.0 (2006),http://www.eclipse.org/emf2. Taentzer, G.: AGG: A Graph Transformation Environment for Modeling and Val-idation of Software. In: Pfaltz, J.L., Nagl, M., Bo¨hlen, B. (eds.) AGTIVE 2003.LNCS, vol. 3062, pp. 446–456. Springer, Heidelberg (2004)3. Taentzer, G., Crema, A., Schmutzler, R., Ermel, C.: Generating Domain-SpecificModel Editors with Complex Editing Commands. In: Schu¨rr, A., Nagl, M., Zu¨ndorf,A. (eds.) AGTIVE 2007. LNCS, vol. 5088. Springer, Heidelberg (2008)4. Biermann, E., Ehrig, K., Ko¨hler, C., Kuhns, G., Taentzer, G., Weiss, E.: EMF ModelRefactoring based on Graph Transformation Concepts. In: Proc. Software Evolutionthrough Transformations (SETra 2006), EC-EASST, vol. 3 (2006)5. Biermann, E., Ehrig, K., Ko¨hler, C., Kuhns, G., Taentzer, G., Weiss, E.: GraphicalDefinition of In-Place Transformations in the Eclipse Modeling Framework. In: Nier-strasz, O., Whittle, J., Harel, D., Reggio, G. (eds.) MoDELS 2006. LNCS, vol. 4199,pp. 425–439. Springer, Heidelberg (2006)

The EMF Model Transformation Framework

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