The document discusses modeling and code generation on the .NET platform, focusing on Model-Driven Software Development (MDSD) tools for developers and the history of Microsoft modeling technologies from 2005 to 2011. It covers various aspects of MDSD, including metamodeling, model checkers, transformation techniques, and code generation methods, highlighting the strengths and shortcomings of different tools and approaches. The conclusion emphasizes that MDSD technologies have significantly matured and are now essential tools for developers on the .NET platform.

1. Modelling and Code Generation
on the .NET Platform
@
Rubén Jiménez rjimenez@icinetic.com
@rubenjmarrufo
Pedro J. Molina, PhD pjmolina@icinetic.com
@pmolinam

2. Contents
 Introduction
 History of Microsoft Modeling
 MDSD: Approaches
 MDSD: Reference Framework
 MDSD: Tour of features
 Demos
© Icinetic 2012 2

3. Introduction
 We do MDSD Tools for developers
 Focused on .NET technologies &
Architecture Services
 HQ in Seville, Spain
© Icinetic 2012 3

4. History of Microsoft Modeling
2005: First release of MS DSL Tools
2007: First details about its plans for the “Oslo” project
2008: First Microsoft “Oslo” CTP
2009: Visual Studio 2010 V&M SDK Beta
2010: Microsoft “Oslo” is obliterated
2010: Visual Studio LightSwitch
2011: Visual Studio 11 V&M SDK Beta
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5. .NET & MDSD
Ready to dive?
© Icinetic 2012 5

6. MDSD: Choose your path
MDA/UML:
 Metamodel is highly closed
MDSD  Symbol and concept overloading
 Not clear Semantics
 Action Language
MDA DSLs  Domains not cover by UML
 Abuse of profiles
 Tools: many dialects of XMI
DSLs:
 Cost of DSLs and tools required
to develop with it.
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7. MDSD Reference FWK
Metamodel(s)
Textual Model Editor
Reverse
Engineering
Visual Model Editor
Model(s)
Model Checker
Model
repository
IDE
Model Transformation
M2M M2T
Code
Model
Doc, etc.
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8. Metamodeling
 The analysis, construction and development of the frames, rules,
constraints, models and theories applicable and useful for
modeling a predefined class of problems (Wikipedia)
Source
 Based in CARs
Class Relation
 Classes / Entities / Objects
Properties Cardinality
 Attributes / Properties
 Relationships
Target
 At Icinetic:
Customer Credit Card
 MS DSL Tools
1 *
 Essential Meta
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8

9. Metamodeling: MS DSL Tools
 Visual Studio Visualization & Modeling SDK.
 Features:
 Graphical meta-modeling.
 Build graphical designers.
 M2T: T4.
 Model validations.
 IDE: Visual Studio.
 Benefits:
 Agile
 Visual
 Drawbacks:
 Generated designers performance:
 “Magnify diagrams and multiply it”: Pascal Recchia.
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10. Metamodeling: Essential
namespace Meta
{
class MailMessage
{
Person From;
List<Person> To;
string Subject;
string Message;
}
class Person
{
string FullName;
string Email;
}
}
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11. Metamodeling: Essential META
Essential META 2009 XCore 2012
namespace org.example.library package org.example.library
{
class Book class Book
{ {
string title;
String title
int pages;
int pages
List<Writer> authors opposite
books; refers Writer[] authors opposite
} books
}
enum BookCategory
{ enum BookCategory
Mistery, {
ScienceFiction, Mistery
Biography ScienceFiction
} Biography
}
}
© Icinetic 2012 11

12. MDSD: Models
Metamodel(s)
Textual Model Editor
Reverse
Visual Model Editor Engineering
Model(s)
Model Checker
Model
IDE repository
Model Transformation
M2M M2T
Code
Model
Doc, etc.
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13. Models: some Cases of Use
1. Validation 2. Interpretation 3. Code Generation
Model Model Model
Model Code
Interpreter
Checker Generation
Runtime Code
interpretation
Metadata
Generated Doc
Report
Code Config.
Tests
...
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14. Models: Code generation techniques
1. Parse model Input Model
2. In-memory representation
Template
 AST / Object Model AST
3. Output building
 Free text concatenation
 XSL-T (No thanks!)
 Text Template based
Output code
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15. Models: Parsers
Parsers License Url Grammar Parsing IDE Strengths
notation algorithm
ANTLR BSD www.antlr EBNF LL Yes Mature & widely
.org/
used
Irony.Net MIT irony.code BNF LALR Yes Interpreted
plex.com/
Gold parser FW goldparse BNF LALR No Supported
r.org/
languages: more
than any other
parsing system
Grammatica GNU grammati EBNF LL No Readable generated
ca.percede
rberg.net/ parse code
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16. MDSD: Editors
Metamodel(s)
Textual Model Editor
Reverse
Visual Model Editor Engineering
Model(s)
Model Checker Model
repository
IDE
Model Transformation
M2M M2T
Code
Model
Doc, etc.
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17. Textual Model Editors
 DDD Textual DSL  Essential Text Editor
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18. Graphical Model Editors
 MS DSL Tools
 WinForms
 WPF
 Custom:
 WinForms
 WPF
 Third party
tools: Visio,
EA, etc.
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19. Graphical Model Editors
 MS DSL Tools
 WinForms
 WPF
 Custom:
 WinForms
 WPF
 Third party
tools: Visio,
EA, etc.
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20. Graphical Model Editors
 MS DSL Tools
 WinForms
 WPF
 Custom:
 WinForms
 WPF
 Third party
tools: Visio,
EA, etc.
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21. Graphical Model Editors
 MS DSL Tools
 WinForms
 WPF
 Custom:
 WinForms
 WPF
 Third party
tools: Visio,
EA, etc.
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22. Other Model Editors
 Tables
 Trees
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23. MDSD: Reverse engineering
Metamodel(s)
Textual Model Editor
Reverse
Visual Model Editor Engineering
Model(s)
Model Checker Model
repository
IDE
Model Transformation
M2M M2T
Code
Model
Doc, etc.
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24. Reverse Engineering
 External assets to model
 Sources:
 Databases
 EDMX Database importer
 Services
 Custom parsers
 Legacy code
 Custom parsers
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25. MDSD: Model Checkers
Metamodel(s)
Textual Model Editor
Reverse
Visual Model Editor Engineering
Model(s)
Model Checker
Model
repository
IDE
Model Transformation
M2M M2T
Code
Model
Doc, etc.
© Icinetic 2012 25

26. Model Checkers: Validation Engine
 MS DSL Tools
 AOP
 IDE integration
 Hollywood
Principle
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27. Models Checkers: Validation Engine
 Essential
 AST + Visitor
 Two phase checking
 Syntax check
 Model Merge
 Reference resolver
 Semantic check
 Validation FWK
 Extensible
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28. MDSD: Model Repositories
Metamodel(s)
Textual Model Editor
Reverse
Visual Model Editor Engineering
Model(s)
Model Checker
Model
repository
IDE
Model Transformation
M2M M2T
Code
Model
Doc, etc.
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29. Model Repositories
 XML serialization to file
 Text serialization to file
 Relational DBMS
 Documental DB / NoSQL
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30. Model Repositories
 XML serialization to file
 Text serialization to file
 Relational DBMS
 Documental DB / NoSQL
© Icinetic 2012 30

31. Model Repositories
 XML serialization to file
 Text serialization to file
 Relational DBMS
 Documental DB / NoSQL
© Icinetic 2012 31

32. Model Repositories
 XML serialization to file
 Text serialization to file
 Relational DBMS
 Documental DB / NoSQL
© Icinetic 2012 32

33. MDSD: Transformations
Metamodel(s)
Textual Model Editor
Reverse
Visual Model Editor Engineering
Model(s)
Model Checker Model
repository
IDE
Model Transformation
M2M M2T
Code
Model
Doc, etc.
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34. Transformations
 M2T
 Free text concatenation
 XSL-T (No thanks!)
 Text Template based
 T4
 StringTemplate
 M2M
 Imperative
 Declarative
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35. MDSD: M2T
Metamodel(s)
Textual Model Editor
Reverse
Visual Model Editor Engineering
Model(s)
Model Checker Model
repository
IDE
Model Transformation
M2M M2T
Code
Model
Doc, etc.
© Icinetic 2012 35

36. M2T: T4 Templates
 Text Template Transformation Toolkit
 Released in 2005 by Microsoft
 Syntax:
 Directives
 Text blocks
 Control blocks
 Usages:
 Standard
 Precompiled: webResponseText=template.TransformText();
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37. M2T: StringTemplate
 Terrence Parr’s templates group Templates;
 Dynamic templates genMail(msg) ::= <<
From: $msg.From:genRecipient()$
 Strong separation of To: $msg.To:genRecipient();
separator=", "$
concerns: Model, View
and Control Subject: $msg.Subject$
MESSAGE:
------------------------------
$msg.Message$
 Good maintanability ------------------------------
>>
genRecipient()::= <<
$it.FullName$ <$it.Email$>
>>
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38. M2T: Template Engines
Time to generate 5000 files of 5 Kb of average
40
35
 T4 30
 StringTemplate
25
Write File
20
Generation
 Precompiled T4 15
Load/compile
10
5
0
T4 StringTemplate T4 Precompiled
T4 StringTemplate Precompiled T4
Total time (ms) 392.935 56.483 48.894
Time(ms)/file 78,587 11,297 9,779
Time(ms)/MB 4.066,142 876,654 505,961
Improvement/T4 base x7 x8
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39. MDSD: M2M
Metamodel(s)
Textual Model Editor
Reverse
Visual Model Editor Engineering
Model(s)
Model Checker Model
repository
IDE
Model Transformation
M2M M2T
Code
Model
Doc, etc.
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40. M2M: Imperative
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41. M2M: Imperative
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42. M2M: Declarative
 Essential TRX
 Rule-based language
 Interpreted
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43. MDSD: IDE Integration
Metamodel(s)
Textual Model Editor
Reverse
Visual Model Editor Engineering
Model(s)
Model Checker Model
repository
IDE
Model Transformation
M2M M2T
Code
Model
Doc, etc.
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44. IDE Integration
1. Model Editors
VS packages
Folders & Projects
2. Model checkers
Generated & custom Errors validation
code coexistence
3. Model to Text
Generated assets
tracking
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45. Making sense of it all
 Radarc
 Plug-in on the top of Visual Studio
 Modelling environment and code generation
packetized by architectures
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46. Radarc Formulas
 A Formula is a code  Formulas available
generator including:
 ASP.NET WebForms
 Models / DSLs  ASP.NET MVC
 Editors  MVC + Azure
 Traceability rules  Windows Phone 7
 Best practices  DDD N-Layered
 Templates
 … and growing
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47. Demo
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48. Conclusions
 Modelling and code generation
technologies have matured a lot
in the latest years
 The .NET platform has a strong
base of tools to make MDSD
approaches feasible.
 MDSD is not more a luxury, is a
precision tool. Take profit!
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49. Questions & (might be) Anwers
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50. www.radarc.net
@RadarcNet
pjmolina.com/essential
50