Model-in-Action (MIA) Tool Background
Mia-Software is a division of Sodifrance, headquartered in Rennes (France). The Model-In-Action tool suite is composed of two major tools: MIA Generator and MIA Translators. Model-in-Action supports OMG standards such as MOF™ (Meta Object Facility) and XMI™ (XML Metadata Interchange) to exchange models with CASE tools; and UML™ Profiles to support Domain Specific Languages. The following table summarizes the different flavors made available by MIA software:
MIA Tool Fact Sheet
After going through the evaluation version of MIA Generator and Transformation for Developer and Architect 4.8.0, the following fact sheet is generated:
MIA Tool Summary
MIA Generator and Translator are excellent contributions towards the MDA community, offering support for several OMG standards like MOF compatibility, UML 2.0 support, XMI support and UML profile support. Moreover these tools are easily extensible and are based on several standards that will be very useful for the modeling community.
XMF-Mosaic
XMF-Mosaic 1.0 is a model-based tool development platform developed by a UK based company called Xactium. Xactium is Eclipse based, extensible to a number of open standards for capturing tool data and behaviour, and an excellent innovation towards the MDA drive. It provides a rich array of facilities for creating customised, domain specific tools. “A key feature of XMF-Mosaic is that it is completely modelled in itself – in other words, it is used to design itself. Because the user has access to these models, it offers a highly open and extensible platform.” XMF-Mosaic is currently available for the following platforms: Windows 2000, NT and XP (Home and Professional).
Following self-explanatory diagram briefly explains the working mechanism of Xactium:
Figure 1: How Xactium works? Copyright Xactium. Used with kind permission of Xactium
Xactium XMF-Mosaic is a rich and powerful modelling tool that offers support for capabilities such as domain modelling, constraint checking, model execution, domain specific modelling, domain specific programming, model to model transformations, extensibility towards MDA-based open standards, document generation, consistent definition, key meta-data standards and fully interactive execution support.
XMF-Mosaic Architecture
XMF-Mosaic is a layered open modular system that is specifically designed to support the definition of a rich array of tool development capabilities. The Mosaic layer provides general-purpose graphical interfaces on top of XMF that support features such as diagram and property editors.
Figure 2: Xactium Architecture. Copyright Xactium. Used with kind permission of Xactium.
Operating System
The Xactium Operating System (XOS) is a Java-based service that facilitates communication with external clients.
Virtual Machine
XVM is an object-oriented machine whose instruction set is designed to efficiently support meta-circular language definitions based on XCore.
Kernel
XMF provides a collection of classes called XCore.
XOCL
XMF provides an eXtensible Object Command Language that addresses the implementation of real-world scalable tools (the whole of XMF-Mosaic is written in about 100KLOC XOCL). These include side-effects, object creation, exception handling, multi-tasking, pattern matching, first-class types, first-class operations, efficient looping constructs, input output, client-server support, daemon mechanisms and support for dealing with syntax constructs.
Tool Definition
The base toolset provides a powerful collection of tools for the rapid construction of new development tools.
XMF Clients
XMF can be connected to a wide variety of external clients (using socket channels) and internal clients (via the XOS).
XMF-Mosaic Features
XMF-Mosaic documentation provides a rich set of manuals that guide you on how to create and interact with a domain model, how to work with a domain model, a very good introduction of XOCL, Code generation and XMI import. This tool provides the following 11 examples:
- Load Introduction
- Load Domain Model example
- Load Snapshot example
- Load Programming Language example
- Load Mapping Example
- Load XCore Language example
- Load XTool Example
- Load XML exporter example
- Load XML Importer example
- Load Meta Profile Example and
- Load Model Example
Xacitum is an innovation that will rule the future MDA direction. Xactium is not a MDA featured tool, but one that features MDA.
MCC (Model Component Compiler)
This is a product developed by InferData and currently being used by Inferdata’s consulting division. However, it is expected be commercially available early next year.
PathMaTE
Developed by PathFinder Solution, no evaluation version of the tool is available currently from their web site.
Conclusion
This week wraps up our ‘MDA Specification-based’ model generation tools evaluation. Next week we will tune into investigating several Model Transformation Tools, Model Repositories and Model Generation Frameworks.
References
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