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Software and Systems Modeling
Published in: Software and Systems Modeling 1/2017

26-02-2015 | Regular Paper

Eugenia: towards disciplined and automated development of GMF-based graphical model editors

Authors: Dimitrios S. Kolovos, Antonio García-Domínguez, Louis M. Rose, Richard F. Paige

Published in: Software and Systems Modeling | Issue 1/2017

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Abstract

EMF and GMF are powerful frameworks for implementing tool support for modelling languages in Eclipse. However, with power comes complexity, implementing a graphical editor for a modelling language using EMF and GMF requires developers to handcraft and maintain several detailed interconnected models through a loosely guided, labour-intensive, and error-prone process. We demonstrate how the application of metamodel annotation and model transformation techniques can help to manage the complexity of GMF and EMF and deliver significant productivity, quality, and maintainability benefits. We present Eugenia, an open-source tool that implements the proposed approach, illustrate its functionality with an example, evaluate it through an empirical study, and report on the community’s response to the tool.
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Appendix
Available only for authorised users
Footnotes
1
Ecore is the object-oriented metamodelling language of EMF.
 
3
The transformation also supports copying Boolean annotations, but the code for this has been omitted for conciseness.
 
5
simplem2 stands for simple metamodel.
 
6
@namespace is a built-in annotation in Emfatic and is not processed by the transformation.
 
8
Additional examples are available on the Epsilon website: http://​eclipse.​org/​epsilon/​doc/​articles/​#eugenia.
 
27
For an example involving phantom nodes, the reader can refer to http://​eclipse.​org/​epsilon/​doc/​articles/​eugenia-phantom-nodes/​.
 
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Metadata
Title
Eugenia: towards disciplined and automated development of GMF-based graphical model editors
Authors
Dimitrios S. Kolovos
Antonio García-Domínguez
Louis M. Rose
Richard F. Paige
Publication date
26-02-2015
Publisher
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in
Software and Systems Modeling / Issue 1/2017
Print ISSN: 1619-1366
Electronic ISSN: 1619-1374
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10270-015-0455-3

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