An algebraic semantics for MOF

Artur Boronat (1) , José Meseguer (2)

1 Department of Computer Science
2 UIUC - Department of Computer Science [UIUC]

In model-driven development, software artifacts are represented as models in order to improve productivity, quality, and cost effectiveness. In this area, the meta-object facility (MOF) standard plays a crucial role as a generic framework within which a wide range of modeling languages can be defined. The MOF standard aims at offering a good basis for model-driven development, providing some of the building concepts that are needed: what is a model, what is a metamodel, what is reflection in the MOF framework, and so on. However, most of these concepts are not yet fully formally defined in the current MOF standard. In this paper we define a reflective, algebraic, executable framework for precise metamodeling based on membership equational logic () that supports the MOF standard. Our framework provides a formal semantics of the following notions: , , and of a model to its metamodel. Furthermore, by using the Maude language, which directly supports specifications, this formal semantics is . This executable semantics has been integrated within the Eclipse modeling framework as a plugin tool called MOMENT2. In this way, formal analyses, such as semantic consistency checks, model checking of invariants and LTL model checking, become available within Eclipse to provide formal support for model-driven development processes.

Mots clés: MOF; Model-driven development; Membership equational logic; Metamodeling semantics; Reflection; Formal analysis

Artur Boronat, José Meseguer. An algebraic semantics for MOF. Formal Aspects of Computing, 2010, 22 (3), pp.269-296. ⟨10.1007/s00165-009-0140-9⟩. ⟨hal-00567269⟩