UDM An Infrastructure for Implementing DomainSpecific Modeling Languages

1
UDM An Infrastructure for Implementing
Domain-Specific Modeling Languages

• Endre Magyari, Arpad Bakay,
• Andras Lang, Tamas Paka,
• Attila Vizhanyo, Aditya Agarwal, and
• Gabor Karsai

Institute for Software-Integrated Systems PO.Box
1829B Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN 37235,
USA
2
Overview

• Domain-Specific MDA
• Model-driven Development Tool Integration
• UDM Unified Data Model
• Framework architecture
• Metamodeling, generator, back-ends
• Capabilities
• Metaprogrammability, multiple backends,
  reflection
• Lessons learned

3
Model-Driven ArchitectureA Transformational
Paradigm for Software Development

• Development process
• Platform Independent Model a view of the system
  from a platform independent viewpoint
• Platform Specific Model a view of the system
  from a platform-specific viewpoint
• Key points
• Relevant issue platform-independence
• Platform Specific information is used
• Transformations are models

• MDA in a Domain-Specific context
• Models are not accidental but essential to system
  development
• Models are expressed in modeling languages which
  are, in turn, defined in terms of a meta-model
• Models undergo transformations during development
  that lead to executables

Source MDA Guide V 1.0.1 (www.omg.org)
4
Domain-Specific MDADomain-Specific MDA -
Model-Integrated Computing
Metamodeling
Tool Integration
Analysis
Metamodels
Domain models
Translation
Domain-specific modeling
Synthesis Generation
Model-Model Transformations
Execution
Need uniform, configurable data layer
5
The UDM Framework
Metamodeling of data UML class diagrams
Backends Generic object implementation
API Code Generator Builds C handle classes
Constraint checker OCL evaluator
Reflection Meta-objects
6
UDM Metamodeling and generation
class Rel public Object public static
UmlClass meta Rel() // Other
constructors static Rel Create(...)
class B public A public static
UmlClass meta B() // Other constructors
static B Create(...) UdmAssocAttrltutes
tCgt dst() const class C public
Object public static UmlClass meta
C() // Other constructors static C
Create(...) UdmAssocAttrltutestBgt src()
const UdmParentAttrltutestAgt parent()
const
namespace utest class A class Rel class B
class C class A public Object public
static UmlClass meta A() // Other
constructors static A Create(...)
UdmChildrenAttrltutestCgt children() const
7
UDM Backends
GEN
DTD
METAMODEL
UDM BACK-END
METADATA
DOM
XML

• C API
• Classes
• Attributes
• Associations

Custom Interface
GME
GME
MEM
FILE
Uniform Interface
CORBA
NETWORK
8
UDM Capabilities

• Metaprogrammability
• Data structures are fully defined by the
  (meta)model
• Consistency rules define well-formedness
• Multiple backends
• DOM/XML Data is persisted as XML files
• GME/MGA Direct access to model databases
• MEM Fast/simple objects binary files
• CORBA/NET Compact network format for data
  exchange
• Reflection
• All UDM Objects have a meta attribute pointing
  to a meta objects (instance of UmlClass or
  UmlAssoc)
• The Uml metamodel is always included
• APIs are available for discovery and generic
  operations

9
UDM UML meta-metamodel
10
Lessons learned

• Generic packages (like UDM) are essential if a
  large number of data models are used
• Example tool integration framework
• Performance penalty is acceptable
• Uniform access means no change when switching
  backends (XML, GME, CORBA, etc.)
• Generic text interface (parsers and unparsers)
  are also feasible and useful
• Consistency checking of data structures (via OCL)
  offers new ways for ensuring data integrity
• Generic (internal) APIs allow generic tools