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Modeling a Model Transformation Language

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Domain Engineering

Abstract

Domain-specific modeling techniques can reduce the gap between the problem space and the solution space by using abstractions and notations that represent domain concepts. The fact that only familiar concepts and notations are used in the model allows domain experts to understand and be involved directly in design. The resulting artifacts of this process are models and transformations. There are well-known techniques for developing modeling languages (e.g., meta-modeling and synthesis of modeling environments); however, there is currently no well-defined technique for engineering model transformation languages (MTLs). This chapter introduces a language engineering technique for building MTLs that is based on treating each MTL as a domain-specific language, more specifically, as languages for describing specific classes of transformations. In this approach, all the components of an MTL are modeled explicitly at the proper level of abstraction using the most appropriate formalisms. Consequently, this facilitates the automatic synthesis of MTL development environments and supports the evolution of model transformations, which assists domain experts in designing models and transformations in an integrated and uniform manner.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    A pivot acts like a parameter for transformation rules. It allows certain elements bound in one rule to be passed to another rule.

  2. 2.

    The mapping can be executed after bootstraping.

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Acknowledgements

This work is supported partially by NSF CAREER award CCF-1052616.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA

    Eugene Syriani & Jeff Gray

  2. Antwerp University, Antwerp, Belgium

    Hans Vangheluwe

  3. McGill University, Montreal, Canada

    Hans Vangheluwe

Authors
  1. Eugene Syriani
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  2. Jeff Gray
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  3. Hans Vangheluwe
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Eugene Syriani .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Information Systems, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel

    Iris Reinhartz-Berger

  2. Ben-Gurion University of the Negev Dept. Information Systems Engineering, Beer-Sheva, Israel

    Arnon Sturm

  3. Business Information Systems, Middlesex University, London, United Kingdom

    Tony Clark

  4. Software Engineering Institute, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

    Sholom Cohen

  5. S23M, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

    Jorn Bettin

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Syriani, E., Gray, J., Vangheluwe, H. (2013). Modeling a Model Transformation Language. In: Reinhartz-Berger, I., Sturm, A., Clark, T., Cohen, S., Bettin, J. (eds) Domain Engineering. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-36654-3_9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-36654-3_9

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