DSMDiff: A Differentiation Tool for Domain-Specific Models

Authors: 
Lin, Yuehua; Gray, Jeff ; Jouault, Frédéric
Author: 
Lin, Y
Gray, J
Jouault, F
Year: 
2007
Venue: 
European Journal of Information Systems
URL: 
http://www.cis.uab.edu/gray/Pubs/ejis-2007.pdf
Citations: 
0
Citations range: 
n/a
AttachmentSize
Lin2007DSMDiffADifferentiationTool.pdf321.8 KB

Model differentiation techniques, which provide the capability to identify mappings and
differences between models, are essential to many model development and management
practices. There has been initial research toward model differentiation applied to UML diagrams,
but differentiation of domain-specific models has not been explored deeply in the modeling
community. Traditional modeling practice using the UML relies on a single fixed generalpurpose
language (i.e., all UML diagrams conform to a single metamodel). In contrast, Domain-
Specific Modeling (DSM) is an emerging model-driven paradigm in which multiple metamodels
are used to define various modeling languages that represent the key concepts and abstractions for
particular domains. Therefore, domain-specific models may conform to various metamodels,
which requires model differentiation algorithms be metamodel-independent and able to apply to
multiple domain-specific modeling languages. This paper presents metamodel-independent
algorithms and associated tools for detecting mappings and differences between domain-specific
models, with facilities for graphical visualization of the detected differences.