Multi-Level Modeling with the FMMLx: Integrated Design and Execution of Domain-Specific Modeling Languages and Models
Conceptual models are of pivotal relevance for the design, maintenance and use of software systems. However, the design of modeling languages and corresponding tools suffers from serious limitations. They concern the lack of expressiveness, the lack of abstraction and, as a consequence, limited reuse and adaptability, as well as dissatisfactory integrity. Over the last twenty years research on multi-level modeling has produced various approaches to overcome these limitations. Different from traditional language architectures such as the MOF, multi-level architectures enable an arbitrary number of classification levels. This way, they allow for the specification of DSMLs with more general DSMLs and enable relaxing the notorious power-generality trade-off. Furthermore, frustrating problems caused by the lack of expressiveness MOF-like language architectures suffer from can be avoided.
This talk will start with explaining the serious shortcomings of prevalent language architectures. Subsequently, essential features of multi-level language architectures are presented. Finally, the talk will give an introduction to a specific multi-level language, the FMMLx, and a corresponding language engineering, modeling and execution environment, the XModelerML. Among other things, the XModelerML enables the common representation of models and tools (because it features a multi-level programming languages). Thus, it does not only allow to overcome the notorious synchronization problem, but also to develop new architectures of enterprise application systems that provide for unprecedented levels of reuse, adaptability and user empowerment. The presentation of core concepts is supplemented with a short tool demo.
Lecture at NEMO2023
Date/Time: Tuesday, July 18, 2023 at 10:00