Study of Interoperability between Meta-Modeling Tools
Heiko Kern · Annals of Computer Science and Information Systems · 2014
Modeling is a fundamental concept in software engineering and other system development disciplines.Nowadays the modeling process is supported by powerful modeling tools.Generally speaking, tools which support the definition and usage of self-defined languages are called meta-modeling tools.An important requirement for meta-modeling tools is the interoperability among each other.For instance, interoperability helps to build complex tool chains covering the whole development process.Furthermore, interoperability can also avoid the vendor lock-in effect.Thus, interoperability facilitates the replacement of a tool by a new tool better fitting the customer needs.The objective of this paper is to investigate the current status of interoperability between meta-modeling tools.In more detail, we study the degree of model exchange between meta-modeling tools and look for typical exchange approaches.The study focuses on meta-modeling tools and approaches which are being used in practice or the real world, respectively.