Domain Hierarchies: A Basic Theoretical Framework for Integrating Software Domains

We present a new approach to executable modeling that borrows from executable UML the notion of domains and bridges and couches them in a formal abstract framework based on the novel concept of a domain hierarchy. The framework is independent of the language used for representing structure and behavior of domains and bridges. By plugging in a declarative executable modeling language with a formal semantics for representing both structure and behavior, we instantiate the abstract framework into a concrete framework that shares with executable UML the benefits of a high-level separation of the platform-independent model into domains and bridges while providing a formal and declarative description of the underlying models.