Executing a Standard Compliant Transformation Model on a Non-standard Platform

Abstract

Abstract-Model-Driven Engineering is a software development method that enables one to model applications at a high level of abstraction and introduce platform specific details automatically by means of model transformations. Similarly, models specified in human-readable languages can be mapped automatically onto languages that support the analysis of formal properties such as termination, deadlock freeness, etc. In an industrial context, the transformations that automate such mappings should be able to consume input models from a variety of commercial tools. Unfortunately, such tools tend to store models in slightly different ways and do not fully comply to standards. Obviously, it is undesirable to implement another version of a transformation for each specific modeling tool. Instead, there is a need for additional techniques that enable the development of transformations in a platform independent manner. This paper illustrates such techniques on an example related to the transformation of visual process models (UML activity diagrams) into low-level algebraic (CSP) programs that support formal verification. In turn, the platform independent and human-readable transformation model is translated into code that can transform UML inputs even when these are nonstandard.

A survey of model transformation design patterns in practice

“…adapters [2], [169], [219] Factor Code Generation Map to metamodel of target Modularisation, Model and [92], [208] into Model-to-Model and code language, and define text flexibility metamodel [71] Model-to-Text Transformations generation from this. management [7], [9], [127] Pre-Normalisation Simplify source model Modularisation, Additional [184], [168] data to simplify main efficiency processing [174], [88] transformation processing step [56] Post-Normalisation Normalise/simplify Modularisation, Additional transformation result separates mapping processing and refactoring aspects step [232] Migrate along Migrate largely independent Modularisation Domain Partitions domain model parts separately [196] Data Cleansing Clean legacy/source data Simplify main Additional before transforming it.…”

Reflecting on Higher Order Transformations: Challenges and Opportunities

“…Case 3: Support for "Downcasting" in Model Transformations. The following example is related to the transformation of visual process models (UML activity diagrams) into low-level algebraic (CSP) programs that support formal verification [4]. In this case a new language feature is introduced which mimics downcasting: a model element is first recognized as of a general type.…”

Model-Driven Development of Model Transformations

“…This chapter is based on a submission to the AGTiVE tool contest in 2007 [265] and is the basis for a paper that will be published in the proceedings of the MoVaH workshop in 2008 [201]. A summary of this chapter will also be published in the AGTiVE proceedings [271].…”