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An Exploratory Study of Forces and Frictions Affecting Large-Scale Model-Driven Development

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Model Driven Engineering Languages and Systems (MODELS 2012)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNPSE,volume 7590))

Abstract

In this paper, we investigate model-driven engineering, reporting on an exploratory case-study conducted at a large automotive company. The study consisted of interviews with 20 engineers and managers working in different roles. We found that, in the context of a large organization, contextual forces dominate the cognitive issues of using model-driven technology. The four forces we identified that are likely independent of the particular abstractions chosen as the basis of software development are the need for diffing in software product lines, the needs for problem-specific languages and types, the need for live modeling in exploratory activities, and the need for point-to-point traceability between artifacts. We also identified triggers of accidental complexity, which we refer to as points of friction introduced by languages and tools. Examples of the friction points identified are insufficient support for model diffing, point-to-point traceability, and model changes at runtime.

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© 2012 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Kuhn, A., Murphy, G.C., Thompson, C.A. (2012). An Exploratory Study of Forces and Frictions Affecting Large-Scale Model-Driven Development. In: France, R.B., Kazmeier, J., Breu, R., Atkinson, C. (eds) Model Driven Engineering Languages and Systems. MODELS 2012. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 7590. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-33666-9_23

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-33666-9_23

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-33665-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-33666-9

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