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Module superimposition: a composition technique for rule-based model transformation languages

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Abstract

As the application of model transformation becomes increasingly commonplace, the focus is shifting from model transformation languages to the model transformations themselves. The properties of model transformations, such as scalability, maintainability and reusability, have become important. Composition of model transformations allows for the creation of smaller, maintainable and reusable transformation definitions that together perform a larger transformation. This paper focuses on composition for two rule-based model transformation languages: the ATLAS Transformation Language (ATL) and the QVT Relations language. We propose a composition technique called module superimposition that allows for extending and overriding rules in transformation modules. We provide executable semantics as well as a concise and scalable implementation of module superimposition based on ATL.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium

    Dennis Wagelaar, Ragnhild Van Der Straeten & Dirk Deridder

Authors
  1. Dennis Wagelaar
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  2. Ragnhild Van Der Straeten
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  3. Dirk Deridder
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Dennis Wagelaar.

Additional information

Communicated by Jeff Gray, Alfonso Pierantonio, and Antonio Vallecillo.

This work is part of the VariBru project, which is funded by the Institute for the encouragement of Scientific Research and Innovation of Brussels (ISRIB). This work is also funded by the Interuniversity Attraction Poles Programme, Belgian State, Belgian Science Policy.

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Wagelaar, D., Van Der Straeten, R. & Deridder, D. Module superimposition: a composition technique for rule-based model transformation languages. Softw Syst Model 9, 285–309 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10270-009-0134-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10270-009-0134-3

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