Exploring the Relationship between Model Composition and Model Transformation

1
Exploring the Relationship between Model
Composition and Model Transformation

• Benoit Baudry, Franck Fleurey, Robert France,
  Raghu Reddy

2
Introduction

• Model composition is a key element of AOM
• Design decomposed into aspect and primary models
• Comprehensive design is synthesized by composing
  aspect and primary models
• Model transformation is a key element of
  model-driven development
• Model refactoring
• Model refinement/abstraction
• Transformations for analysis purposes

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Motivating Question

• Is model composition a particular type of model
  transformation?
• Can model composition be implemented using model
  transformations?

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Model composition
Template aspect model
Context specific aspect model
Primary model
bindings
Model Composition
Composed model
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Composition as transformation

• Two views

composition directives
context-specific aspect model
signature definition
composed model
Model Transformation
primary model
Template aspect model
bindings
Model Transformation
composed model
primary model
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composition directives
context-specific aspect model
signature definition
composed model
Model Transformation
primary model
There are many variants between the two extreme
views
Template aspect model
composition directives
primary model
composed model
Model Transformation (bindings and signature)
Template aspect model
bindings
composed model
Model Transformation -specialized framework
primary model
Template aspect model
bindings
Model Transformation
composed model
primary model
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composition directives
Relatively easy to create
context-specific aspect model
dedicated
signature definition
composed model
Model Transformation
primary model
Template aspect model
composition directives
primary model
composed model
Model Transformation (bindings and signature)
inreasing implementation complexity
decreasing specificity
Template aspect model
bindings
composed model
Model Transformation -specialized framework
primary model
Template aspect model
bindings
Model Transformation
composed model
primary model
Difficult to create
generic
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Conclusion

• We identify a range of transformation-oriented
  composition approaches
• varying degrees of generality and usability
• Suggests that work on composition and
  transformation can be unified
• Future work will focus on developing a foundation
  that unifies composition and transformation