Using Traceability for Reverse Instance Transformations with SiTra
Seyyed M. A. Shah, Kyriakos Anastasakis, Behzad Bordbar · 2008
Abstract—Model Driven Development and the core concept of Model Transformation has gained wide acceptance especially when used with UML languages. Transformations are used to map models in one language to another and can be used to develop a design into a system or for analysing a design to identify faults. However, transformations are a one time bridge and don’t allow instances of models to be mapped back into the original language, except by hand or via a new transformation. This is despite the fact that a mapping must already exist between the two models. This mapping is represented by the trace of the trans-formations and is a feature of several transformation frameworks and standards where by the source of every destination element is recorded. Tracing has originally been applied for change propagation in chains of transformation and in debugging Model Transforma-tions. In the current paper we present a novel use of Model Transformation tracing: for reverse instance transformation. That is the automatic transformation of instance models in the destination language back into the source language. We demonstrate the method using a case study of UML2Alloy, a complex transformation from UML to the Alloy analysis language. The presented method can reverse transform the result of analysis conducted by Alloy into UML-Object Diagrams. I.