article

VMTL: a language for end-user model transformation

Authors:

Vlad Acre?Oaie,

Harald Störrle,

Daniel StrüberAuthors Info & Claims

Software and Systems Modeling (SoSyM), Volume 17, Issue 4

Pages 1139 - 1167

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10270-016-0546-9

Published: 01 October 2018 Publication History

Abstract

Model transformation is a key enabling technology of Model-Driven Engineering (MDE). Existing model transformation languages are shaped by and for MDE practitioners--a user group with needs and capabilities which are not necessarily characteristic of modelers in general. Consequently, these languages are largely ill-equipped for adoption by end-user modelers in areas such as requirements engineering, business process management, or enterprise architecture. We aim to introduce a model transformation language addressing the skills and requirements of end-user modelers. With this contribution, we hope to broaden the application scope of model transformation and MDE technology in general. We discuss the profile of end-user modelers and propose a set of design guidelines for model transformation languages addressing them. We then introduce Visual Model Transformation Language (VMTL) following these guidelines. VMTL draws on our previous work on the usability-oriented Visual Model Query Language. We implement VMTL using the Henshin model transformation engine, and empirically investigate its learnability via two user experiments and a think-aloud protocol analysis. Our experiments, although conducted on computer science students exhibiting only some of the characteristics of end-user modelers, show that VMTL compares favorably in terms of learnability with two state-of the-art model transformation languages: Epsilon and Henshin. Our think-aloud protocol analysis confirms many of the design decisions adopted for VMTL, while also indicating possible improvements.

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Tinnes CKehrer TJoblin MHohenstein UBiesdorf AApel S(2023)Mining domain-specific edit operations from model repositories with applications to semantic lifting of model differences and change profilingAutomated Software Engineering10.1007/s10515-023-00381-130:2Online publication date: 26-Apr-2023
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cover image Software and Systems Modeling (SoSyM)

Software and Systems Modeling (SoSyM) Volume 17, Issue 4

October 2018

333 pages

ISSN:1619-1366

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Copyright © Copyright © 2018 Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.

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Springer-Verlag

Berlin, Heidelberg

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Published: 01 October 2018

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Cited By

Tinnes CKehrer TJoblin MHohenstein UBiesdorf AApel S(2023)Mining domain-specific edit operations from model repositories with applications to semantic lifting of model differences and change profilingAutomated Software Engineering10.1007/s10515-023-00381-130:2Online publication date: 26-Apr-2023
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1007/s10515-023-00381-1
Mahmood WStrüber DAnjorin ABerger T(2022)Effects of variability in models: a family of experimentsEmpirical Software Engineering10.1007/s10664-021-10112-327:3Online publication date: 1-May-2022
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1007/s10664-021-10112-3
Zhang LPingaud HLamine EFontanili FBortolaso CDerras M(2022)A Model Driven Approach to Transform Business Vision-Oriented Decision-Making Requirement into Solution-Oriented Optimization ModelAdvances and Trends in Artificial Intelligence. Theory and Practices in Artificial Intelligence10.1007/978-3-031-08530-7_18(211-225)Online publication date: 19-Jul-2022
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1007/978-3-031-08530-7_18
Tinnes CKehrer TJoblin MHohenstein UBiesdorf AApel SGrundy J(2021)Learning domain-specific edit operations from model repositories with frequent subgraph miningProceedings of the 36th IEEE/ACM International Conference on Automated Software Engineering10.1109/ASE51524.2021.9678698(930-942)Online publication date: 15-Nov-2021
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1109/ASE51524.2021.9678698
Kalnina EGuerra EIovino L(2020)Concrete syntax-based find for graphical DSLsProceedings of the 23rd ACM/IEEE International Conference on Model Driven Engineering Languages and Systems: Companion Proceedings10.1145/3417990.3422008(1-5)Online publication date: 16-Oct-2020
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3417990.3422008
Strüber DAnjorin ABerger TSyriani ESahraoui H(2020)Variability representations in class modelsProceedings of the 23rd ACM/IEEE International Conference on Model Driven Engineering Languages and Systems10.1145/3365438.3410935(240-251)Online publication date: 16-Oct-2020
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3365438.3410935
Kalnina ESostaks APretschner AVoss SBurgueño L(2019)Towards concrete syntax based find for graphical domain specific languagesProceedings of the 22nd International Conference on Model Driven Engineering Languages and Systems10.1109/MODELS-C.2019.00038(236-242)Online publication date: 15-Sep-2019
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1109/MODELS-C.2019.00038
Selway MGrossman GStumptner MOwen KDexter RWąsowski APaige RHaugen Ø(2018)Integration of Visual Contracts and Model Transformation for Enhanced MDE DevelopmentProceedings of the 21th ACM/IEEE International Conference on Model Driven Engineering Languages and Systems10.1145/3239372.3239399(415-425)Online publication date: 14-Oct-2018
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3239372.3239399

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