DSLs: techiques and tools - E-Formation

DSLs: techniques and tools

Frédéric Fondement

October, 2010

- 1 - Modeling Wizards - DSLs: techniques and tools

Example DSL models

opened

closed

close

unlocked

locked

lock

unlock

open


Supporting DSLs

Modeling Wizards - DSLs: techniques and tools

- 3 -

PlanTools around models

Supporting / modeling languages• Abstract syntax• Concrete syntax• Transformation

Language models reuse• Reusing abstract syntax• Reusing tools


- 4 -

Model as a primary artifact

Roughly taken fromIan Sommerville

Repository architectural style


MODELREPOSITORY

Supporting models


MODELREPOSITORY

Supporting modelsGRAPHICAL EDITOR

SYNCHRONIZATION

TEXTUAL EDITORPARSING / SERIALIZING


MODELREPOSITORY

Supporting models

CONSISTENCYCHECKING


MODELREPOSITORY

Supporting models

XMI File

SERIALIZER


MODELREPOSITORY

Supporting models

CODETRANSLATION


MODELREPOSITORY

Supporting models

MODEL INTERPRETOR

CODETRANSLATION


MODELREPOSITORY

Supporting models

MODELREPOSITORY

MODEL INTERPRETOR

TRANSLATION

CODETRANSLATION


MODELREPOSITORY

Supporting models

MODELREPOSITORY

GRAPHICAL EDITOR

XMI File

SYNCHRONIZATION

SERIALIZER

CONSISTENCYCHECKING

MODEL INTERPRETOR

TRANSLATION

CODETRANSLATION


INTERACTION CONTROLLEDSTORAGE

OPERATIONALIZATION






- 14 -

Languages…


1 language: many sentences

Cos

t

Number of models



Price of tool support

Number of models


Cos

t


Number of models


A modeling languagedeserves to be supported

Cos

t


Number of models



Cos

t

(Modeling) language

Concepts

Language


(Modeling) language

Concepts

Interface

Language


(Modeling) language

Concepts

Interface

Meaning

Language


Modeling (modeling) language

Concepts

Interface

Meaning

Language

A model

A model

A model


MODELREPOSITORY

Modeling language concepts

MODELREPOSITORY

GRAPHICAL EDITOR

XMI File

SYNCHRONIZATION

SERIALIZER

CONSISTENCYCHECKING

MODEL INTERPRETOR

TRANSLATION

CODETRANSLATION



OPERATIONALIZATION


MODELREPOSITORY


MODELREPOSITORY

GRAPHICAL EDITOR

XMI File

SYNCHRONIZATION

SERIALIZER

CONSISTENCYCHECKING

MODEL INTERPRETOR

TRANSLATION

CODETRANSLATION



OPERATIONALIZATION


MODELREPOSITORY


MODELREPOSITORY

GRAPHICAL EDITOR

XMI File

SYNCHRONIZATION

SERIALIZER

CONSISTENCYCHECKING

MODEL INTERPRETOR

TRANSLATION

CODETRANSLATION



OPERATIONALIZATION



Concepts

A model A conceptsmodeling language !

(a.k.a. a metamodelinglanguage)


InstancesIn databases

Table "Organismes"Table "Affiliation"Table "Personnes"

4Martin

3Schmitt

2Dupont

1Durand

Code_perNom

33

41

31

12

Code_orgCode_per

IUT4

FST3

FLSH2

ENSISA1

OrganismeCode_org

Inst

ance

Type




4Martin

3Schmitt

2Dupont

1Durand

Code_perNom

33

41

31

12

Code_orgCode_per

IUT4

FST3

FLSH2

ENSISA1

OrganismeCode_org

Inst

ance

Type

«instanceOf»«instanceOf» «instanceOf»




4Martin

3Schmitt

2Dupont

1Durand

Code_perNom

33

41

31

12

Code_orgCode_per

IUT4

FST3

FLSH2

ENSISA1

OrganismeCode_org

Inst

ance

Type

«instanceOf» «instanceOf»




4Martin

3Schmitt

2Dupont

1Durand

Code_perNom

33

41

31

12

Code_orgCode_per

IUT4

FST3

FLSH2

ENSISA1

OrganismeCode_org

«conformsTo»

Inst

ance

Type


InstancesIn XML

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><personne xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"

xsi:noNamespaceSchemaLocation="personne.xsd"><nom>de Latour</nom><prenom>Jean</prenom><date_naissance>1967-08-13</date_naissance>

</personne>

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><xs:schema xmlns:xs="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema">

<xs:element name="personne"> <xs:complexType> <xs:sequence><xs:element name="nom" type="xs:string"/><xs:element name="prenom" type="xs:string"/><xs:element name="date_naissance" type="xs:date"/>

</xs:sequence> </xs:complexType> </xs:element></xs:schema>

«conformsTo»

Inst

ance

Type


InstancesEBNF

program = 'PROGRAM‘ identifier 'BEGIN' (assignment ";")* 'END' ;identifier = alphabetic_character (alphabetic_character | digit)* ;number = ("-")? (digit)+ ;string = '"' ((alphabetic_character | digit | other)* − '"')* '"' ;assignment = identifier , ":=" , ( number | identifier | string ) ;

PROGRAM DEMO1 BEGINA0:=3;B:=45;H:=-100023;D123:=B34A;BABOON:=GIRAFFE;TEXT:="Hello world!";

END

«conformsTo»

Inst

ance

Type


Instances

© F.Fondement

MODEL INREPOSITORY

METAMODEL

<<conformsTo>>

With models


Metamodeling exampleType Instance


«instanceOf»

M1

M2

Metamodeling example

«metaObject»

Metam

odelM

odel

Type Instance


«metamodel»DataBaseMM

Table

NamedElement

name : stringname : string

DataBaseA_table_dataBase

table

0..1 *

dataBase Column

isPrimaryKey : boolean

TypedElement

DataType

Element

isPrimaryKey : boolean*

column

A_column_table0..1

table

typedElement

A_type_typedElement

0..1 type

*

Metamodeling example



MODEL INREPOSITORY

META-METAMODEL

<<conformsTo>>

METAMODEL INREPOSITORY

<<conformsTo>>

Concepts for the language used to

model a metamodel


M2

M1


Metam

odelM

odel


M3

M2

M1

Instance Of

Metam

odelM

odelM

etametam

odel



Typical metamodeling constructsClass

Property

Association

Generalization


Metamodeling languagesMOF

Ecore (supported by Eclipse EMF)

KM3 (AMMA)

Xcore (XMF)

SMD (Coral)

…

Alloy

OWL

B

Database schema

…


- 42 -

Metamodeling language propertyMMM can have MMM as a meta-metamodel

MMM is thus a metamodel

Thus, a metamodeling language can express itself

MMM can have itself as a metamodel


Metamodeling language propertyThe following is possible:(though not mandatory)

M0

M1

M2

M3

«conformsTo»

«conformsTo»

«conformsTo»

«conformsTo»


Example: EBNF


- 45 -

rules = (rule)* ';' ;rule = identifier '=' ruleBody ;ruleBody = choice | sequence | atom | '(' ruleBody ')' (('?'|'*'|'+'))?;choice = ruleBody ('|' ruleBody)* ;sequence = ruleBody (ruleBody)*;atom = identifier | '"' (character | digit | other)* '"' ;identifier = character (character | digit)* ;

«conformsTo»

Example: XSD


- 46 -

«conformsTo»

XSD.XSD

An XML Schema schema document for XML Schema schema documents :

http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema.xsd© W3C

http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema.xsd

Nobody’s perfect……even metamodeling languages !

Metamodel:• Structure that makes possible to construct models…

• …still, some of those possible models can be invalid(i.e. out of the desired language)!

Person*

0,2parents

children

Bob Alice

Philip


ConstraintsMetamodel:

• Structure that makes possible to construct models

Static semanticsa.k.a. Well formedness rules

• Expressions restricting the number of possible models

MODELREPOSITORY

CONSISTENCYCHECKING

Consistencymodel

Metamodel


Consistency ModelObject Constraint Language

A model query language

Can be adapted to other class languages than UML

Can be used to• Additional operations / derived attributes• Constraints (!)• Transformation languages• Code generation rules• …

Other languages (e.g. Check), same principles


- 49 -


Concepts

Interface

Language

A model

A model


MODELREPOSITORY

Supporting models

MODELREPOSITORY

GRAPHICAL EDITOR

XMI File

SYNCHRONIZATION

SERIALIZER

CONSISTENCYCHECKING

MODEL INTERPRETOR

TRANSLATION

CODETRANSLATION


CONTROLLEDSTORAGE

OPERATIONALIZATION


INTERACTION

Language description

+ layout constraints

sm ::= "Statemachine" IDENT compositeState

state ::= normalState | pseudostate

normalState ::= "initial"? (simpleState | compositeState)

simpleState ::= "State" IDENT

compositeState ::= "CompositeState IDENT? LCURLYBRACKET(state | transition)* RCURLYBRACKET

transition ::= "Transition" IDENT? "from" IDENT "to" IDENT ("on" IDENT)?

pseudoState ::= "FinalState" IDENT | "Choice" IDENT

- or -


Textual concrete syntax

Possible language gap…

AbstractSyntax

(Metamodel)

Model

«conformsTo»

Code Generator

Templates

Code

Compilercompiler

Grammar

Semanticanalysis

Intermediatetree

«conformsTo»

«conformsTo»

M2: whiteM1: grey


Textual concrete syntaxAbstractSyntax

(Metamodel)

Model

«conformsTo»

Code Generator

Templates

Code

Compilercompiler

Grammar

Semanticanalysis

Intermediatetree

«conformsTo»

«conformsTo»

M2: whiteM1: grey

Textualconcretesyntaxmodels



(Metamodel)

Model

«conformsTo»

Code Generator

Templates

Text

Grammar

ModelParser

«conformsTo»

«conformsTo»

M2: whiteM1: grey

Textualconcretesyntaxmodels



(Metamodel)

Model

«conformsTo»

Text

Grammar

«conformsTo»

ReversibleText Processor

SINTAKS

M2: whiteM1: grey

Textualconcretesyntaxmodel


Textual concrete syntax patternsA ::= (pub?=‘public’)? ‘AnA’ name=ID

A ::= B | C | D

A ::= (bs+=B)+


- 57 -

A

B C D

A Bbs

1..*

A

pub : Booleanname : String

AbstractSyntax

(Metamodel)

Model

«conformsTo»

Text

Grammar

«conformsTo»


Textual concrete syntax M2: whiteM1: grey

AbstractAND

Textualconcretesyntaxmodel


AbstractSyntax

(Metamodel)

Model

«conformsTo»

Text

Grammar

«conformsTo»

Text Processor



AbstractSyntax

(Metamodel)

Model

«conformsTo»

Text

Grammar

«conformsTo»


XMI



XMI example


- 61 -

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><sc:StateMachine xmi:version="2.0" xmlns:xmi="http://www.omg.org/XMI" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:sc="http://dummy/sc" name="<states xsi:type="sc:InitialState" outgoing="//@transitions.0"/><states xsi:type="sc:SimpleState" name="Opened" incoming="//@transitions.0 //@transitions.2

outgoing="//@transitions.1"/><states xsi:type="sc:CompositeState" name="Closed" incoming="//@transitions.1"><states xsi:type="sc:SimpleState" name="Unlocked" incoming="//@states.2/@transitions.1 //@

outgoing="//@states.2/@transitions.0"/><states xsi:type="sc:InitialState" outgoing="//@states.2/@transitions.2"/><states xsi:type="sc:SimpleState" name="Locked" incoming="//@states.2/@transitions.0"

outgoing="//@states.2/@transitions.1 //@transitions.2"/><transitions event="lock" from="//@states.2/@states.0" to="//@states.2/@states.2"/><transitions event="unlock" from="//@states.2/@states.2" to="//@states.2/@states.0"/><transitions from="//@states.2/@states.1" to="//@states.2/@states.0"/>

</states><transitions from="//@states.0" to="//@states.1"/>

<transitions event="close" from="//@states.1" to="//@states.2"/><transitions event="open" from="//@states.2/@states.2" to="//@states.1"/>

</sc:StateMachine>

Language description

+ layout constraints

sm ::= "Statemachine" IDENT compositeState

state ::= normalState | pseudostate

normalState ::= "initial"? (simpleState | compositeState)

simpleState ::= "State" IDENT

compositeState ::= "CompositeState IDENT? LCURLYBRACKET(state | transition)* RCURLYBRACKET

transition ::= "Transition" IDENT? "from" IDENT "to" IDENT ("on" IDENT)?

pseudoState ::= "FinalState" IDENT | "Choice" IDENT

- or -


Graphical concrete syntax


- 63 -

AbstractSyntax

(Metamodel)

Model

RepresentationData

Mapping

RepresentationLanguage

Interaction«conformsTo»

GraphicalModel Representer

Diagram

«conformsTo»

DiagramDiagram



- 64 -

AbstractSyntax

(Metamodel)

Model

RepresentationData

Mapping




Diagram

«conformsTo»

DiagramDiagram

Graphicalconcretesyntaxmodels

In practice, more or less

mixed

hidden



- 65 -

AbstractSyntax

(Metamodel)

Model

RepresentationData

Mapping




Diagram

«conformsTo»

DiagramDiagram

Notions for

Shape• Rectangle• Polyline• …

Connector• Connector end• …

AbstractSyntax

(Metamodel)

Model

RepresentationData

Mapping




Diagram

«conformsTo»

DiagramDiagram



- 66 -

Possible graphical interactions

• Move• Resize• …

Layout constraints

Layout constraints ?


- 67 -

opened

closedclose

unlocked

locked

lock unlockopen

Layout constraints ?


- 68 -



- 69 -

AbstractSyntax

(Metamodel)

Model

RepresentationData

Mapping




Diagram

«conformsTo»

DiagramDiagram

Mapping icons with model elements

• Synchronization between diagram and model



- 70 -

AbstractSyntax

(Metamodel)

Model

RepresentationData

Mapping




Diagram

«conformsTo»

DiagramDiagram

“There is an icon III of shape XXXlocated on diagram DDD at position X,Xsized W,H that represents element YYY in the model”



- 71 -

AbstractSyntax

(Metamodel)

Model

RepresentationData

Mapping




Diagram

«conformsTo»

Diagram InterchangeDiagramDiagram


Concepts

Interface

Meaning

Language

A model

A model

A model


MODELREPOSITORY


MODELREPOSITORY

GRAPHICAL EDITOR

XMI File

SYNCHRONIZATION

SERIALIZER

CONSISTENCYCHECKING

MODEL INTERPRETOR

TRANSLATION

CODETRANSLATION



OPERATIONALIZATION


Model operationalizationTransformation problem

Model to model transformation (M2M)

Model to text transformation (M2T)

Model interpretation• Only for computer-executable

languages !


- 74 -

M2M Transformation model


- 75 -

Set up @4537HMov ah, upInt 4CH

App

licat

ion

Leve

l(p

roje

ct)

M1 :T

Transformation model


- 76 -


:T

App

licat

ion

Leve

l(p

roje

ct)

M1

TargetLanguage(s)

(Metamodel(s))<<conformsTo>><<conformsTo>>

Def

initi

onLe

vel

(met

hod) Source

Language(s)(Metamodel(s))

M2



- 77 -


:T

App

licat

ion

Leve

l(p

roje

ct)

M1

TargetLanguage(s)


Def

initi

onLe

vel

(met

hod) Source


M2 T

<<conformsTo>>



- 78 -


:T

App

licat

ion

Leve

l(p

roje

ct)

M1

TargetLanguage(s)


Def

initi

onLe

vel

(met

hod) Source


M2 T

<<conformsTo>>

ModelTransformation

Language

<<conformsTo>>

M3

Information / intention origins


- 79 -

Information / intention origins


- 80 -

Reversibility


- 81 -

MISSING

Reversibility


- 82 -

MISSINGTrace model:

to recover removed information

to retrieve information source

Transformation hintsLook for input model elements

• According to properties • Metaclass• OCL can help

• Create output model elements• Information trasmission

2 ways• Imperative

• Clear steps• Declarative

• Declare only transformation information


- 83 -

Imperative example : Kermeta


- 84 -

operation transform(inputModel : Package) : RDBMSModel is do…

// Create tablesinputModel.classes.select{ c | c.is_persistent }.each{ c |

var table : Table init Table.newtable.name := c.nameclass2table.storeTrace(c, table)result.table.add(table)}

// Create columnsinputModel.classes.select{ c | c.is_persistent }.each{ c |

createColumns(class2table.getTargetElem(c), c)}

…

end

operation createColumns (t: Table, c : Class) is do …

Declarative example :


- 85 -

rule PersistentClass2Table {

from c : SimpleUML!Class (c.isPersistent

)

to t : RDBMS!Table (name <- c.name,…

)

}

rule ClassicAttribute2Column{from a : SimpleUML!Attribute(

a.container.isPersistent)

to c : RDBMS!Column(name <- a.name,type <- a.type.kindAsString

)}

Transformation languagesDeclarative

• QVT relational• Triple graph grammars (MOFLON-TGG)

• What to seek• What to produce• What to trace

Imperative• QVT operational• Any programming language (Java, Python, …)

• API offered by model repositories (JMI)

Incremental / Bidirectional

Possible number of in/out/inout models/metamodels• E.g. refactorings


- 86 -

MODELREPOSITORY

M2T: code generatorsSerialization methods

• Added to metaclasses

Based on templates

Xpand example:


- 87 -

«DEFINE run FOR StateMachine»«EXPAND run_sign FOR this» {//State Machine «this.name»«EXPAND run_output

FOREACH this.states.select(e|!e.outgoing.isEmpty)SEPARATOR "\n"»

«EXPAND run FOREACH this.states»}

«ENDDEFINE»

Interpreting modelsMost of the time ad-hoc visitors

“exec” function injections• Kermeta


- 88 -


“exec” function injections

Model with Ecore:


- 89 -


“exec” function injections

Model with Kermeta:


- 90 -

All-in-one toolsMetamodeling language

Concrete syntax definition language• Usually graphical editor for graphical concrete syntax definition

Transformation language• … and / or code generator


- 91 -

All-in-one toolsMetamodeling language

Concrete syntax definition language• Usually graphical editor for graphical concrete syntax definition

Transformation language• … and / or code generator


- 92 -

Co-evolution


- 93 -

MODELREPOSITORY

MODELREPOSITORY

GRAPHICAL EDITOR

XMI File

SYNCHRONIZATION

SERIALIZER

CONSISTENCYCHECKING

MODEL INTERPRETOR

TRANSLATION

CODETRANSLATION


METAMODEL

<<conformsTo>>

Reuse


- 94 -





- 95 -


Tuning languagesUse decorations

• UML Profiles

Higher-order hierarchies• Package merge

Tool support• Dedicated tools• Existing tools improved

(e.g. with AOP)• “Folding” extensions to the

original language

DecoratedMetamodel Metamodel

«model transformation»Decoration Folding

«merge»

ProfilesSébastien will introduce that !

A language can become extensible by introducing the profile notion in its metamodel.

• So do UML and MOF…


- 97 -

«metaclass»InstanceSpecification

1..*

distributed 0..*

servants

«stereotype»Distributed

«stereotype»Servant

«profile»DistributionProfile

«metaclass»Interface

{inv: self.classifier->forAll(c | c.conformsTo(self.distributed))}

Package mergeSome kind of inheritance between packages

• Mutiple «merge» possible • Matching elements found

by name•Ext::Element implicitly

exists


- 98 -

Infra

Ext

«merge»

Element

Named

Package mergeSome kind of inheritance between packages•Ext::Element has a name attribute and is owned by an Ext::Package


- 99 -

Infra

Ext

«merge»

Element

Element

name : String

Package


- 100 -

Package mergeMOF meta-metamodel designed for reuse

Essential MOF Complete MOF

«merge»

«merge»

UML Infrastructure

UML Superstructure

«merge»

«conformsTo»«conformsTo»«conformsTo»

«conformsTo»

Profiles

Improving package mergeName matching a bit naïve…

Model composition:Complex composition directives

• Kompose

Model comparison / matching:Comparing independent metamodels

• Versions of the same metamodel• Expected vs. obtained metamodel• Identification of “matcheable” elements• Federated models• EMF Compare


- 101 -





- 102 -

Tuning transformations


- 103 -

Metamodel A Metamodel BTransformation

TunedMetamodel A

«model transformation aspect»Tuned Transformation

«Weaves In»

Tuning transformationsHigher-order transformations:Transformations that transforms transformations !


- 104 -

ModelTransformation

Language

Transformation

«conformsTo»

Tuning transformationsAn aspect language for transformationAspect ?

Extension of a source language• E.g.: AspectJ is an extension of Java

Directives to change the extended language• E.g.: At these places, that must be inserted.


- 105 -

Tuning transformationsAn aspect language for transformation


- 106 -

ModelTransformation

Language

Transformation

«conformsTo»

Aspect ModelTransformation

Language

Aspect Weaver

«conformsTo»

Tuning transformationsAn aspect language for transformation


- 107 -

ModelTransformation

Language

Transformation

«conformsTo»

Aspect ModelTransformation

Language

Aspect Weaver

«conformsTo»

«extends»

ConclusionDSLs

• Few concepts• Limited set of users• Tool support is a key factor• Few resources

Languages• Abstract syntax, concrete syntax, translation• Reuse

DSLs for DSLs• Languages to express languages

• Various approaches• Tool support by generation or interpretation


- 108 -

ConclusionProblems

• Abstractions for languages• Syntax, semantics, reuse…

• Quality• Maintainability• Scaling• Optimization• …• Many introduced in here in Oslo


- 109 -

Conclusion


- 110 -

Pric

e pe

r mod

el re

aliz

ed

Number of models


Conclusion


- 111 -

Pric

e pe

r mod

el re

aliz

ed

Number of models

Thank you !More or less questions than before lunch ?


- 112 -

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DSLs: techiques and tools - E-Formation