Model Transformation Analysis: Staying Ahead of the Maintenance Nightmare

Model-driven engineering (MDE) is a software engineering discipline that is gaining popularity, both in academia and industry. One of the integral concepts of MDE is model transformation. The prominent role of model transformations in MDE requires them to be treated in a similar way as traditional software artifacts. Numerous analysis techniques supporting the maintenance process exist for traditional software artifacts. However, few techniques tailored towards analyzing model transformations currently exist. We present in this paper three complementary techniques for the analysis of model transformations. These techniques are mainly focused on increasing the understanding of model transformations. Two of the proposed techniques have already been employed for the analysis of different kinds of software artifacts, viz. metrics, and structure and trace analysis. The third analysis technique, i.e., metamodel coverage analysis is specific for model transformations and does therefore not exist for different kinds of software artifacts.

[1]  Steffen Becker,et al.  Evaluating Maintainability with Code Metrics for Model-to-Model Transformations , 2010, QoSA.

[2]  Glenford J. Myers,et al.  Structured Design , 1974, IBM Syst. J..

[3]  Jean-Michel Bruel,et al.  Satellite Events at the MoDELS 2005 Conference , 2006 .

[4]  Jochen Ludewig,et al.  Models in software engineering – an introduction , 2003, Software and Systems Modeling.

[5]  Jan Kofron,et al.  Research into Practice - Reality and Gaps, 6th International Conference on the Quality of Software Architectures, QoSA 2010, Prague, Czech Republic, June 23 - 25, 2010. Proceedings , 2010, QoSA.

[6]  James F. Power,et al.  White-Box Coverage Criteria for Model Transformations , 2009 .

[7]  Stuart Kent,et al.  Model Driven Engineering , 2002, IFM.

[8]  Perdita Stevens.  A Simple Game-Theoretic Approach to Checkonly QVT Relations , 2009, ICMT@TOOLS.

[9]  Jarke J. van Wijk,et al.  Visual Comparison of Hierarchically Organized Data , 2008, Comput. Graph. Forum.

[10]  Shari Lawrence Pfleeger,et al.  Software Metrics : A Rigorous and Practical Approach , 1998 .

[11]  David A. Carrington,et al.  Verifying metamodel coverage of model transformations , 2006, Australian Software Engineering Conference (ASWEC'06).

[12]  Parastoo Mohagheghi,et al.  Developing a Quality Framework for Model-Driven Engineering , 2007, MoDELS Workshops.

[13]  Mark van den Brand,et al.  An exercise in iterative domain-specific language design , 2010, IWPSE-EVOL '10.

[14]  Douglas C. Schmidt,et al.  Guest Editor's Introduction: Model-Driven Engineering , 2006, Computer.

[15]  Hausi A. Müller,et al.  How do program understanding tools affect how programmers understand programs? , 2000, Sci. Comput. Program..

[16]  Barry Boehm,et al.  Characteristics of software quality , 1978 .

[17]  Arend Rensink.  Model Driven Architecture - Foundations and Applications, 5th European Conference, ECMDA-FA 2009, Enschede, The Netherlands, June 23-26, 2009. Proceedings , 2009, ECMDA-FA.

[18]  Marcel van Amstel.  The Right Tool for the Right Job: Assessing Model Transformation Quality , 2010, 2010 IEEE 34th Annual Computer Software and Applications Conference Workshops.

[19]  van den Mgj Mark Brand,et al.  Quality assessment of ATL model transformations using metrics , 2011 .

[20]  Miguel A. Fernández,et al.  MDE Adoption in Industry: Challenges and Success Criteria , 2009, MoDELS.

[21]  Mark van den Brand,et al.  Using Metrics for Assessing the Quality of ASF+SDF Model Transformations , 2009, ICMT@TOOLS.

[22]  Arie van Deursen,et al.  Domain-specific languages: an annotated bibliography , 2000, SIGP.

[23]  Frédéric Jouault,et al.  Transforming Models with ATL , 2005, MoDELS.

[24]  Shane Sendall,et al.  Model Transformation: The Heart and Soul of Model-Driven Software Development , 2003, IEEE Softw..

[25]  Martin Fowler,et al.  Refactoring - Improving the Design of Existing Code , 1999, Addison Wesley object technology series.

[26]  Arie van Deursen,et al.  Understanding Execution Traces Using Massive Sequence and Circular Bundle Views , 2007, 15th IEEE International Conference on Program Comprehension (ICPC '07).

[27]  van den Brand,et al.  Metrics for model transformations , 2010 .

[28]  Krzysztof Czarnecki,et al.  Feature-based survey of model transformation approaches , 2006, IBM Syst. J..

[29]  Arie van Deursen,et al.  Language Prototyping: An Algebraic Specification Approach , 1996, AMAST Series in Computing.

[30]  Parastoo Mohagheghi,et al.  Where Is the Proof? - A Review of Experiences from Applying MDE in Industry , 2008, ECMDA-FA.