Developing User Interfaces According to Model Driven Architecture

Abstract

Abstract. After visual editors and builders, the next generation of tools for software practitioners is located at a higher level of abstraction: model-driven architecture (MDA). In this approach, the interactive system to be built is described by a series of models from which the final system is partially or completely produced. With one big win in mind: when the user’s requirements change or the organization changes, the models change and so does the supporting software system. A MDA-compliant approach is presented to support the development life cycle of the user interface of information systems in: forward engineering (a new system is produced), reverse engineering (an existing system is recuperated), and lateral engineering (an existing system is adapted to a new context of use). The cornerstone of this approach is UsiXML (User Interface eXtensible Markup Language, www.usixml.org), a XML-compliant language expressing user interface models and transformations between them.