Typing in Model Management

Abstract

Abstract. Model management is essential for coping with the complexity introduced by the increasing number and varied nature of artifacts involved in MDE-based projects. Global Model Management (GMM) addresses this issue enabling the representation of artifacts, particularly transformation composition and execution, by a model called a megamodel. Typing information about artifacts can be used for preventing type errors during execution. In this work, we present a type system for GMM that improves its current typing approach and enables formal reasoning about the type of artifacts within a megamodel. This type system is able to capture non-trivial situations such as the use of higher order transformations.

Megamodel-based Management of Dynamic Tool Integration in Complex Software Systems

“…Many aspects of model-management have been considered in the literature in which the concept of megamodels ( [1], [5], [6], [15], etc.) and macromodels [21] have been proposed.…”

“…In [6], the author considers a megamodel as a program in which the declaration and definition of models within a megamodel as statements of a model-based programming language. Then the execution of a simple program composed of a sequence of such statements manipulates the contents of a megamodel.…”

“…As already stated a megamodel refers to a model that have models as its elements and that captures the interconnections between multiple models(component models) in the form of model operations, generally represented as model transformations (global operation models) [1]. All of these models will then be represented in a single runtime megamodel which will be handled as an execution environment or more simply as a (mega-)program which is updated with each new (global) operation execution [6]. The megamodel is therefore subjected to frequent dynamic changes which consist of either adding or removing components.…”

Typing Model Transformations Using Tracts

“…Secondly, we have the structural type, defined by the fact that model transformations can be considered as operations, and therefore can be typed by the types of their input and output metamodels, as proposed in [10]. Then, if T : M → N is a transformation, its structural type is M → N .…”

“…Another proposal defines the type of a model transformation in terms of its input and output metamodels [10]. However, as mentioned in the introduction, such a structural type is not enough for capturing all relevant aspects: behaviour should also be taken into account.…”