Specification of modelling languages in a flexible meta-model architecture

  • Authors:

  • Liping Mu;Terje Gjøsæter;Andreas Prinz;Merete Skjelten Tveit

  • Affiliations:

  • University of Agder, Grimstad, Norway;University of Agder, Grimstad, Norway;University of Agder, Grimstad, Norway;University of Agder, Grimstad, Norway

  • Venue:
  • Proceedings of the Fourth European Conference on Software Architecture: Companion Volume
  • Year:
  • 2010

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Abstract

Originally, meta-models were used to specify the structure (abstract syntax) of modelling languages. This is reflected both in meta-languages like MOF and Ecore, and the four-layer meta-model architecture. Presently, meta-modelling is used for specification of complete languages. In this situation, it turns out that the traditional meta-languages are not always expressive enough to capture all language aspects. This usually implies the use of more than one metalanguage in the meta-model architecture to cover the different language aspects. There are many approaches to address this challenge. In this paper, we analyze these approaches, and based on this analysis, we re-think the meta-model architecture focusing on complete language specifications. In our meta-model architecture, each aspect of a language conforms to an aspect-specific meta-language at the level above, and models can reside at different levels depending on their context and use. This meta-model architecture is easier to understand, more flexible and more extensible; therefore it may be useful in the design of meta-model-based language specification platforms, as well as for promoting the understanding of the principles of meta-modelling.