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Task Completeness Assessments in the Evolution of Domain-Specific Modelling Languages

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Advanced Information Systems Engineering (CAiSE 2023)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNCS,volume 13901))

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Abstract

[Background] Domain-specific modelling languages (DSMLs) are tailored to particular application domains and are common in model-driven information system engineering. To support new modelling requirements, increase the maturity of the languages, and keep them relevant to their domain, DSMLs need to be evolved. [Aims] Since little is known regarding the complexity of the evolution process, in this paper, we investigate which incompletions are prevalent in each DSML evolution activity. [Method] We conduct a quantitative empirical study where the object of study, a DSML in the domain of ethical, social and environmental accounting, is supported by a metamodel in UML and a textual grammar in Xtext. Ninety-two participants grouped in 25 teams have evolved the DSML based on a set of new requirements, updating the metamodel and the grammar. We assess the completeness of each evolution activity and identify incompletions per artefact. We have also enquired the participants about their perceptions of the evolution process. [Results] The completeness of the metamodel evolution activity is about 1.25 times higher than it is for the grammar. The metamodelling primitives that are more likely to cause problems are relationships and enumerations. With respect to the Xtext grammars most incompletions are localised in rule calls, cross references and cardinalities. This is consistent with the participants’ perceptions about the difficulty of each activity and primitive. [Contribution] Our findings are relevant for the design and testing of DSMLs, as well as for education on DSMLs.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    https://github.com/sergioespana/openESEA.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Information and Computing Sciences, Utrecht University, Princetonplein 5, Utrecht, 3584 CC, The Netherlands

    Vijanti Ramautar, Sergio España & Sjaak Brinkkemper

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  1. Vijanti Ramautar
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  2. Sergio España
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  3. Sjaak Brinkkemper
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Correspondence to Vijanti Ramautar .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia

    Marta Indulska

  2. University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel

    Iris Reinhartz-Berger

  3. Universidad San Jorge, Zaragoza, Spain

    Carlos Cetina

  4. Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain

    Oscar Pastor

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Ramautar, V., España, S., Brinkkemper, S. (2023). Task Completeness Assessments in the Evolution of Domain-Specific Modelling Languages. In: Indulska, M., Reinhartz-Berger, I., Cetina, C., Pastor, O. (eds) Advanced Information Systems Engineering. CAiSE 2023. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 13901. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-34560-9_19

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-34560-9_19

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  • Online ISBN: 978-3-031-34560-9

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