Towards Visual Modeling of Annotation by Extending Java Metamodel
Qian Li · 2007
This paper proposes a new Java metamodel with annotation extended to support annotation visual modeling. Annotation is one of the new features of Java SE5. It plays significant roles on metadata and metaprogramming. But with a view to visual modeling, annotation is not supported by either existing Java metamodel or UML2 metamodel. This causes annotation semantic features can not be reflected at higher abstract level, and annotation visual modeling is impossible. This paper presents four significant features of annotation: type-based, static instance, target-associated instance and instance immutable. Three metaclasses: AnnotatableElement, Annotation and AnnotationInstance, are extended to specify the features of annotations consistently. Further, two notions are suggested for visual modeling of annotation. The new Java metamodel complies with the MOF specification. Also it is designed simple so that it's easier to realize to support MDA and related utilities development.