Systematic Usage of Embedded Modelling Languages in Automated Model Transformation Chains

2008 research paper

In Proc. of 1st International Conference on Software Language Engineering (SLE’08), volume 5452 of LNCS, Springer
with: Mathias Fritzsche, Uwe Aßmann, Simon Mitschke, Wasif Gilani, Ivor Spence, John Brown, and Peter Kilpatrick

Annotation of programs using embedded Domain-Specific Languages (embedded DSLs), such as the program annotation facility for the Java programming language, is a well-known practice in computer science. In this paper we argue for and propose a specialized approach for the usage of embedded Domain-Specific Modelling Languages (embedded DSMLs) in Model-Driven Engineering (MDE) processes that in particular supports automated many-step model transformation chains. It can happen that information defined at some point, using an embedded DSML, is not required in the next immediate transformation step, but in a later one. We propose a new approach of model annotation enabling flexible many-step transformation chains. The approach utilizes a combination of embedded DSMLs, trace models and a megamodel. We demonstrate our approach based on an example MDE process and an industrial case study.