Generating Domain-Specific Visual Language Tools from Abstract Visual Specifications

Domain-specific visual languages support high-level modeling for a wide range of application domains. However, building tools to support such languages is very challenging. We describe a set of key conceptual requirements for such tools and our approach to addressing these requirements, a set of vis...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:IEEE transactions on software engineering 2013-04, Vol.39 (4), p.487-515
Main Authors: Grundy, J. C., Hosking, J., Li, K. N., Ali, N. M., Jun Huh, Li, R. L.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Abstracts
Business
Collaborative work
Computational modeling
domain-specific visual language
Electronic mail
Human-computer interaction
Mathematical models
Metamodels
Metatool
model-driven engineering
Platforms
Programming languages
Software
Software engineering
software tool
Specifications
Studies
Transformations
Unified modeling language
Visual
visual specification
Visualization
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Domain-specific visual languages support high-level modeling for a wide range of application domains. However, building tools to support such languages is very challenging. We describe a set of key conceptual requirements for such tools and our approach to addressing these requirements, a set of visual language-based metatools. These support definition of metamodels, visual notations, views, modeling behaviors, design critics, and model transformations and provide a platform to realize target visual modeling tools. Extensions support collaborative work, human-centric tool interaction, and multiplatform deployment. We illustrate application of the metatoolset on tools developed with our approach. We describe tool developer and cognitive evaluations of our platform and our exemplar tools, and summarize key future research directions.
ISSN:0098-5589
1939-3520
DOI:10.1109/TSE.2012.33