Abstract
Domain-specific modeling languages (DSMLs) enable various stakeholders in solving complex modeling problems that are related to their domains. However, as challenges in domain-specific modeling grow in complexity, consistent exchange of domain-specific information between various stakeholders across projects becomes a challenge, as such stakeholders often use a variety of modeling tools suited for their needs. Stakeholders often live within specific modeling tools relevant for developing and using their DSMLs, therefore there is little consideration for generalizing these domain-specific concepts across modeling tools. Further, there also exists a certain lack of exchanging domain-specific constructs effectively for such tools. To solve this challenge, we propose a bi-directional exchange mechanism between Enterprise Architect (EA) and MagicDraw, two commercially established modeling, that allows exchanging individually created DSMLs and their constructs, essential in promoting tool interoperability. As DSMLs represent domain-specific peculiarities within a single area, the proposed exchange mechanism evaluates with a simple illustrative example the applicability of DSML information exchange by extracting and translating these peculiarities across modeling tools. The approach is demonstrated by developing individual extensions to the mentioned tools that support the seamless exchange of domain-specific constructs. Ultimately, the paper presents a first step towards enabling DSML exchange between all the concerned stakeholders and fosters the engineering of DSMLs across modeling tools.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Extensible Markup Language (XML) (2023). https://www.w3.org/XML/
Model Interchange Wiki (2023). https://www.omgwiki.org/model-interchange/doku.php
XML Metadata Interchange (XMI) (2023). https://www.omg.org/spec/XMI/
Bézivin, J.: Model driven engineering: an emerging technical space. In: Generative and Transformational Techniques in Software Engineering: International Summer School, GTTSE 2005, Braga, Portugal, 4–8 July 2005, pp. 36–64 (2006)
Bézivin, J., Brunelière, H., Cabot, J., Doux, G., Jouault, F., Sottet, J.S.: Model driven tool interoperability in practice. In: 3rd Workshop on Model-Driven Tool & Process Integration (co-located with ECMFA 2010), pp. 62–72 (2010)
Binder, C., Neureiter, C., LĂĽder, A.: Towards a domain-specific approach enabling tool-supported model-based systems engineering of complex industrial internet-of-things applications. Systems 9(2) (2021)
Böhm, W., Broy, M., Klein, C., Pohl, K., Rumpe, B., Schröck, S. (eds.): Model-Based Engineering of Collaborative Embedded Systems. Springer, Cham (2021)
Brunelière, H., Cabot, J., Clasen, C., Jouault, F., Bézivin, J.: Towards model driven tool interoperability: bridging eclipse and Microsoft modeling tools. In: Kühne, T., Selic, B., Gervais, M.-P., Terrier, F. (eds.) ECMFA 2010. LNCS, vol. 6138, pp. 32–47. Springer, Heidelberg (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-13595-8_5
Butting, A., Jansen, N., Rumpe, B., Wortmann, A.: Translating grammars to accurate metamodels. In: International Conference on Software Language Engineering (SLE 2018), pp. 174–186. ACM (2018)
Cheng, B.H.C., Combemale, B., France, R.B., Jézéquel, J.-M., Rumpe, B.: On the globalization of domain-specific languages. In: Cheng, B.H.C., Combemale, B., France, R.B., Jézéquel, J.-M., Rumpe, B. (eds.) Globalizing Domain-Specific Languages. LNCS, vol. 9400, pp. 1–6. Springer, Cham (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-26172-0_1
Clark, T., van den Brand, M., Combemale, B., Rumpe, B.: Conceptual model of the globalization for domain-specific languages. In: Cheng, B.H.C., Combemale, B., France, R.B., Jézéquel, J.-M., Rumpe, B. (eds.) Globalizing Domain-Specific Languages. LNCS, vol. 9400, pp. 7–20. Springer, Cham (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-26172-0_2
Dalibor, M., et al.: Mind the gap: lessons learned from translating grammars between MontiCore and Xtext. In: International Workshop on Domain-Specific Modeling (DSM 2019), pp. 40–49. ACM (2019)
Dalibor, M., Jansen, N., Michael, J., Rumpe, B., Wortmann, A.: Towards sustainable systems engineering-integrating tools via component and connector architectures. In: Jacobs, G., Marheineke, J. (eds.) Antriebstechnisches Kolloquium 2019: Tagungsband zur Konferenz, pp. 121–133. Books on Demand (2019)
Diallo, P.I., Champeau, J., Lagadec, L.: A model-driven approach to enhance tool interoperability using the theory of models of computation. In: Erwig, M., Paige, R.F., Van Wyk, E. (eds.) SLE 2013. LNCS, vol. 8225, pp. 218–237. Springer, Cham (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-02654-1_12
Drux, F., Jansen, N., Rumpe, B., Schmalzing, D.: Embedding textual languages in MagicDraw. In: Modellierung 2022 Satellite Events, pp. 32–43. Gesellschaft für Informatik e.V. (2022)
Enterprise Architect (2023). https://sparxsystems.com/
Golra, F.R., Beugnard, A., Dagnat, F., Guerin, S., Guychard, C.: Using free modeling as an agile method for developing domain specific modeling languages. In: Proceedings of the ACM/IEEE 19th International Conference on Model Driven Engineering Languages and Systems, pp. 24–34 (2016)
Greifenberg, T., Look, M., Roidl, S., Rumpe, B.: Engineering tagging languages for DSLs. In: Conference on Model Driven Engineering Languages and Systems (MODELS 2015), pp. 34–43. ACM/IEEE (2015)
Grönniger, H., Ringert, J.O., Rumpe, B.: System model-based definition of modeling language semantics. In: Lee, D., Lopes, A., Poetzsch-Heffter, A. (eds.) FMOODS/FORTE -2009. LNCS, vol. 5522, pp. 152–166. Springer, Heidelberg (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-02138-1_10
Grönniger, H., Rumpe, B.: Modeling language variability. In: Calinescu, R., Jackson, E. (eds.) Monterey Workshop 2010. LNCS, vol. 6662, pp. 17–32. Springer, Heidelberg (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-21292-5_2
Gupta, R., Jansen, N., Regnat, N., Rumpe, B.: Design guidelines for improving user experience in industrial domain-specific modelling languages. In: Proceedings of the 25th International Conference on Model Driven Engineering Languages and Systems: Companion Proceedings. ACM (2022)
Gupta, R., Kranz, S., Regnat, N., Rumpe, B., Wortmann, A.: Towards a systematic engineering of industrial domain-specific languages. In: 2021 IEEE/ACM 8th International Workshop on Software Engineering Research and Industrial Practice (SE &IP), pp. 49–56. IEEE (2021)
Hölldobler, K., Rumpe, B.: MontiCore 5 Language Workbench Edition 2017. Aachener Informatik-Berichte, Software Engineering, Band 32, Shaker Verlag (2017)
Hölldobler, K., Rumpe, B., Wortmann, A.: Software language engineering in the large: towards composing and deriving languages. Comput. Lang. Syst. Struct. 54, 386–405 (2018)
IBM Rhapsody (2023). https://www.ibm.com/products/systems-design-rhapsody/
Jouault, F., Allilaire, F., Bézivin, J., Kurtev, I., Valduriez, P.: ATL: a QVT-like transformation language. In: Companion to the 21st ACM SIGPLAN Symposium on Object-Oriented Programming Systems, Languages, and Applications, pp. 719–720 (2006)
Kern, H.: Study of interoperability between meta-modeling tools. In: 2014 Federated Conference on Computer Science and Information Systems, pp. 1629–1637. IEEE (2014)
MagicDraw Enterprise (2023). https://www.3ds.com/products-services/catia/products/no-magic/magicdraw/
Maoz, S., Ringert, J.O., Rumpe, B.: Semantically configurable consistency analysis for class and object diagrams. In: Whittle, J., Clark, T., Kühne, T. (eds.) MODELS 2011. LNCS, vol. 6981, pp. 153–167. Springer, Heidelberg (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-24485-8_12
MDG Technologies (2023). https://sparxsystems.com/resources/mdg_tech/
Mustafiz, S., Denil, J., Lúcio, L., Vangheluwe, H.: The FTG+PM framework for multi-paradigm modelling: an automotive case study. In: Proceedings of the 6th International Workshop on Multi-paradigm Modeling, pp. 13–18 (2012)
Odukoya, K.A., Whitfield, R.I., Hay, L., Harrison, N., Robb, M.: An architectural description for the application of MBSE in complex systems. In: 2021 IEEE International Symposium on Systems Engineering (ISSE), pp. 1–8. IEEE (2021)
Ozkaya, M.: Are the UML modelling tools powerful enough for practitioners? A literature review. IET Softw. 13(5), 338–354 (2019)
Rumpe, B.: Modeling with UML: Language. Concepts, Methods, Springer, Cham (2016)
Gupta, R., Jansen, N., Regnat, N., Rumpe, B.: Implementation of the SpesML workbench in MagicDraw. In: Modellierung 2022 Satellite Events, pp. 61–76. Gesellschaft für Informatik (2022)
Tolvanen, J.P.: MetaEdit+ integrated modeling and metamodeling environment for domain-specific languages. In: Companion to the 21st ACM SIGPLAN Symposium on Object-Oriented Programming Systems, Languages, and Applications (2006)
Zachman, J.A.: The Zachman framework for enterprise architecture. Primer for Enterprise Engineering and Manufacturing.[si]: Zachman International (2003)
Zusane, U.I., Nikiforova, O., Gusarovs, K.: Several issues on the model interchange between model-driven software development tools (2015)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2024 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this paper
Cite this paper
Gupta, R. et al. (2024). Towards Enabling Domain-Specific Modeling Language Exchange Between Modeling Tools. In: Mosbah, M., et al. Advances in Model and Data Engineering in the Digitalization Era. MEDI 2023. Communications in Computer and Information Science, vol 2071. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-55729-3_8
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-55729-3_8
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-031-55728-6
Online ISBN: 978-3-031-55729-3
eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)