Domain Specific Product Description Exchange Dr Andy Evans Xactium Limited Contact: andy.evans@xactium.com www.xactium.com

Product Descriptions Large engineering projects need the ability to be able to capture and interchange product descriptions Examples: maintenance logs, test descriptions, vehicle configurations, and so on Although there is some commonality across products, there are often significant features that are specific to each domain. How do we manage these situations? ©Xactium Limited, 2005

Capturing Product Data We use languages to capture product data The following types of language are commonly used: General-purpose, low-level languages like XML, or other common lowest denominator data representation Specialised ‘product description’ languages like AP233, SEDRES, SysML General purpose modelling languages, i.e. UML ©Xactium Limited, 2005

Languages - Pros and Cons General purpose languages, e.g. XML Product description languages, e.g. SysML Un-restricted: can capture any type of data More intuitive, visual, semantically richer Semantically weak, difficult to maintain Fixed set of concepts that is hard to extend Uses general purpose concept types, e.g. component Stereotypes are a weak form of specialisation ©Xactium Limited, 2005

Domain Specific Languages A Domain Specific Language (DSL) is a language designed for a specific problem domain DSL’s directly capture domain concepts, e.g. maintenance logs, vehicle configurations, weapon trajectories Example: A language that allows you to visually model specific vehicle configurations, test them and generate specific component API’s. ©Xactium Limited, 2005

Benefits of DSL’s Engineers work with concepts that closely match the problem domain: E.g. user-interfaces are modelled using visual user-interface modelling languages More intuitive representation of problem domain to stakeholders: Stakeholders understand the models because they match their way of thinking about the problem Semantics of concepts can be fully described in a very focused way ©Xactium Limited, 2005

Managing and interchanging DSL’s We need a way of being able to rapidly construct DSL’s and provide support for them in tools We need a common denominator way of representing and interchanging DSL product descriptions as models We also need a way to make the DSL definitions themselves open and interchangeable ©Xactium Limited, 2005

Components of DSL’s Domain Concepts Semantics Visual/ Textual Syntax ©Xactium Limited, 2005

DSL’s as Models DSL’s can be modelled (just as we can model systems) Provide a model of domain concepts, visual/textual syntax, and semantics Key point: the languages used to model DSL’s are modelled themselves: Can therefore deploy DSL tools on other platforms by constructing tool mappings ©Xactium Limited, 2005

XMF-Mosaic XMF Engine MOF Runs on A platform for modelling, executing and deploying languages and their associated tools Based on MDA and associated meta-data standards (MOF) Everything is modelled, including the XMF-Mosaic platform itself DSL Modelling Language Model of Language Model of Product ©Xactium Limited, 2005

Advantages As models, the DSL definitions are fully transparent and interchangeable Models written in the language can be interchanged between any pair of tools that understand the DSL model Alternatively, we can define mapping rules to generate XML representations of models and DSL’s. ©Xactium Limited, 2005

Example Language for capturing specific classes of events (i.e. specialised event based view of a product) Compulsory events Optional events Internal and external actors Process: Model domain concepts Model diagram syntax Model semantics Model a mapping to another language (forms based language) ©Xactium Limited, 2005

Model of Domain Concepts ©Xactium Limited, 2005

Model of Diagram Syntax ©Xactium Limited, 2005

Model a Specific Product ©Xactium Limited, 2005

Map to a Forms Language ©Xactium Limited, 2005

Model of Semantics Validate model ©Xactium Limited, 2005

Semantics ©Xactium Limited, 2005

Construct Mappings to Interchange formats Model of XML Mapping ©Xactium Limited, 2005

Summary Product descriptions are written using languages Benefits from being able to use domain specific product description languages (DSL’s) XML and standards like SysML don’t facilitate this Can provide an open an transparent way of describing DSL’s by modelling them using meta-data standards like MOF Interchange capabilities provided through meta-data and standards like MDA XMF-Mosaic a fully integrated model-driven development environment that supports the modelling, execution and deployment of DSL’s ©Xactium Limited, 2005