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Graph and model transformation tools for model migration

Empirical results from the transformation tool contest

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Abstract

We describe the results of the Transformation Tool Contest 2010 workshop, in which nine graph and model transformation tools were compared for specifying model migration. The model migration problem—migration of UML activity diagrams from version 1.4 to version 2.2—is non-trivial and practically relevant. The solutions have been compared with respect to several criteria: correctness, conciseness, understandability, appropriateness, maturity and support for extensions to the core migration task. We describe in detail the comparison method, and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the solutions with a special focus on the differences between graph and model transformation for model migration. The comparison results demonstrate tool and language features that strongly impact the efficacy of solutions, such as support for retyping of model elements. The results are used to motivate an agenda for future model migration research (including suggestions for areas in which the tools need to be further improved).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of York, York, UK

    Louis M. Rose

  2. Institut für Informatik, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany

    Markus Herrmannsdoerfer & Steffen Mazanek

  3. Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands

    Pieter Van Gorp

  4. Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Karlsruhe, Germany

    Sebastian Buchwald

  5. Institute for Software Technology, University Koblenz-Landau, Landau, Germany

    Tassilo Horn

  6. IMCS, University of Latvia, Riga, Latvia

    Elina Kalnina

  7. Software Engineering Research Group, Kassel University, Kassel, Germany

    Andreas Koch

  8. Kings College London, London, UK

    Kevin Lano

  9. Fortiss GmbH, Munich, Germany

    Bernhard Schätz

  10. Vienna University of Technology, Vienna, Austria

    Manuel Wimmer

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  1. Louis M. Rose
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Correspondence to Louis M. Rose.

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Communicated by Dr. Andy Schürr and Arend Rensink.

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Rose, L.M., Herrmannsdoerfer, M., Mazanek, S. et al. Graph and model transformation tools for model migration. Softw Syst Model 13, 323–359 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10270-012-0245-0

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