Specification-Driven Development of an Executable Metamodel in Eiffel

Metamodels precisely define the constructs and underlying well-formedness rules for modelling languages. They are vital for tool vendors, who aim to provide support so that concrete models can be checked formally and automatically against a metamodel for conformance. This paper describes how an executable metamodel – which supports fully automated conformance checking – was developed using a model-driven extension of test-driven development. The advantages and disadvantages of this approach to building metamodels are discussed.