CAREER: Foundational Principles to Support Evolution in Domain-Specific Modeling

University Of Alabama At Birmingham, Birmingham AL

Investigators

Abstract

Despite advances in programming languages and runtime platforms, most software is developed at a low-level of abstraction relative to the concepts and concerns within the problem space of an application domain. Domain-Specific Modeling (DSM) is a design approach that uses a metamodel to define a modeling language capturing the essential characteristics of a problem space in a manner that is decoupled from the details of a specific solution space. However, the current DSM practice lacks fundamental concepts to support a broad range of tasks needed for model-driven evolution of software. The proposed research will extend the capabilities of DSM by investigating the synergy of model transformation and program transformation as methods to support the necessary evolution of software artifacts as reflected by changes in high-level models. Specific topics of investigation include model-driven program transformation, reverse engineering of legacy source code into domain-specific models, model difference algorithms that support a new class of version control tools focused on visual modeling concerns, and a technique to analyze a user's intention among edit changes within a modeling tool. The proposed research agenda is integrated with educational activities, including undergraduate mentoring and graduate education, with an emphasis on K-12 outreach activities.