Talk at eXtreme Modelling workshop co-located with MoDELS 2013.

1. 1
Programmatic Muddle
Management
D. Kolovos, N. Matragkas,
H. Rodriguez, R. Paige
Department of Computer Science
University of York

2. 2Challenge
Design a DSL with
the help of a
domain expert

3. 3Domain Expert vs. EMF*
* or any similar 3-level metamodelling architecture

4. 4Domain Expert vs. EMF

5. 5Domain Expert vs. EMF
Domain Expert EMF

6. 6Domain Expert vs. EMF

7. 7Validation
• The diagram looks OK – but is it?
• Write a program against it!
– e.g. a transformation, simulator, code
generator
• Useful for evaluating the completeness
of the underlying DSL
– Concepts, relationships, structure
• ... but all we have is a drawing 

8. 8Solution #1
1. Draw the diagram using a GraphML-
compliant tool (e.g. yEd)
2. Script the XML representation of the
diagram

9. 9
Too low level

10. 10Solution #2
1. Draw the diagram using a
GraphML-compliant tool (e.g. Dia/yEd)
2. Draw a separate legend
diagram
3. Export the diagram as a
textual fragment
4. Annotate the fragment
5. Derive an Ecore
metamodel
6. Transform the
diagram to a conforming EMF model
7. Use your favourite EMF-compliant model
management languages

11. 11In this work
1. Draw a diagram using GraphML
2. Annotate the diagram
3. Write model management programs
against your diagram as if it was a real
model using

12. 12
Demo

13. 13How it works (1/2)
• The annotated diagram is translated to
an intermediate EMF muddle behind the
scenes

14. 14Finding all Actions
• Ecore-based query
– MuddleElement.all.
select(me|me.type.name = “Action”)

15. 15How it works (2/2)
• The muddle is accessed through a
specialised Epsilon Model Connectivity
driver

16. 16Finding all Actions
• Muddle driver
– Action.all

17. 17Summary
• Presented an approach for programmatic
management of annotated GraphML
diagrams
– No need to extract an Ecore metamodel /
conforming EMF model first
• Enables additional validation at early
stages of the language design process

18. 18Get it!
http://epsilonlabs.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/org.eclipse.epsilon.emc.graphml.updatesite