The abbreviation DSL stands for "Domain Specific Language". A Domain Specific Language is a formal language that covers specific domain concepts. It can be both textual and graphical. We have to this point specialized in graphical domain-specific languages.

DSL design is concerned with a formal representation of the knowledge domains.In this context, domains may constitute technical knowledge as well as software architecture. In the latter case, one speaks of architecture-centered MDSD.

Interviews and workshops with the domain experts are conducted to elaborate on the technical DSL concepts. The knowledge gained from these activities is represented in the form of a metamodel, which is in turn based on the Ecore metametamodel.

The model editor is developed on the basis of the Eclipse EMF and GMF frameworks - or more accurately, they are generated because GMF makes graphic editor generation from the functionality specification possible. Thanks to this quality of GMF, domain specific editors - in contrast to earlier times - can be developed very quickly today.

With our 6 years of experience in the development of graphic modeling tools (Poseidon for UML) in conjunction with our intensive engagement with the Eclipse frameworks, we are proven specialists in the "building" of qualitatively excellent graphic editors on the basis of GMF. Consequentially, we were able to bring a commercial modeling tool based on GMF, "Apollo for Eclipse", to the market as early as October 2006, and with that prove early on our expertise in the creation of domain-specific editors based on Eclipse GMF.

We use the open source generator framework openArchitectureWare as our generator. The mapping instructions for the model-to-model transformations as well as for the code generation are defined in this framework. Subsequently, the model, which was created previously with the DSL editor, can be transformed to another model or used to create code right way.

The originator of this generator is our parent company, b+m Informatik, who decided to make their original b+m Generator Framework open source in September 2003. Today, openArchitectureWare is the most successful and most powerful generator framework that is available at present. In the meantime, it is being further developed as an Eclipse project, which is a true accolade for any open source technology.

Of course, we and b+m are intensively working on the advancements as committers.

Further information about oAW is available here:

» http://www.eclipse.org/gmt/oaw/ 
» http://www.openarchitectureware.com