A framework for bidirectional model-to-platform transformations

Abstract

Model-Driven Engineering (MDE) has established itself as a viable means of coping with the increasing complexity of software systems. Model-to-platform transformations support the required abstraction process that is crucial for a model-driven approach and are, therefore, a central component in any MDE solution. Although there exist numerous strategies and mature tools for certain isolated subtasks or specific applications, a general framework for designing and structuring model-to-platform transformations, which consolidates different technologies in a flexible manner, is still missing, especially when bidirectionality is a requirement. In this paper, we present: (1) An abstract, conceptual framework for designing and structuring bidirectional model-to-platform transformations, (2) a concrete instantiation of this framework using string grammars, tree grammars, and triple graph grammars, (3) a discussion of our framework based on a set of core requirements, and (4) a classification and detailed survey of alternative approaches. © 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.