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Model Transformation with Immutable Data

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Theory and Practice of Model Transformations (ICMT 2016)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNPSE,volume 9765))

Abstract

Mainstream model transformation tools operate on graph structured models which are described by class-based meta-models. In the traditional grammarware space, transformation tools consume and produce tree structured terms, which are described by some kind of algebraic datatype or grammar. In this paper we explore a functional style of model transformation using Rascal, a meta-programming language, that seamlessly integrates functional programming, flexible static typing, and syntax-based analysis and transformation. We represent meta-models as algebraic data types (ADTs), and models as immutable values conforming to those data types. Our main contributions are (a) REFS a simple encoding and API, to deal with cross references among model elements that are represented as ADTs; (b) a mapping from models to ADTs augmented with REFS; (c) evaluation of our encoding by implementing various well-known model transformations on state machines, meta-models, and activity diagrams. Our approach can be seen as a first step towards making existing techniques and tools from the modelware domain available for reuse within Rascal, and opening up Rascal’s transformation capabilities for use in model driven engineering scenarios.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    See http://www.eclipse.org/modeling/emf/.

  2. 2.

    See http://www.eclipse.org/ecoretools/.

  3. 3.

    See https://www.eclipse.org/emf/compare/.

  4. 4.

    See http://www.eclipse.org/gmf-tooling/.

  5. 5.

    See http://www.rascal-mpl.org.

  6. 6.

    Recall that an Abstract Data Type is characterized by a set of values (created using constructor functions) and a set of functions that define operations on those values.

  7. 7.

    Also known as named parameters or keyword arguments in other languages.

  8. 8.

    All visualizations are created automatically: for each meta-model we specify a transformation to a standard graph model. The latter is then visualized using Rascal ’s visualization library.

  9. 9.

    The concept of reset events is inspired by Fowler’s example state machine DSL [5].

  10. 10.

    The type parameter of is technically not needed, but allows declarations of s document what they are referring to.

  11. 11.

    Source lines of code, not counting empty lines or comments.

  12. 12.

    See http://www.eclipse.org/atl/atlTransformations/.

  13. 13.

    Can be found on Github at http://bit.ly/1puz0tC.

  14. 14.

    An optimization technique that caches the result of expensive computations.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CWI, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Paul Klint & Tijs van der Storm

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  1. Paul Klint
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  2. Tijs van der Storm
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Correspondence to Tijs van der Storm .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands

    Pieter Van Gorp

  2. University of Paderborn, Paderborn, Germany

    Gregor Engels

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Klint, P., van der Storm, T. (2016). Model Transformation with Immutable Data. In: Van Gorp, P., Engels, G. (eds) Theory and Practice of Model Transformations. ICMT 2016. Lecture Notes in Computer Science(), vol 9765. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-42064-6_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-42064-6_2

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