Human Comprehensible and Machine Processable Specifications of Operational Semantics

This paper presents a method to describe the operational semantics of languages based on their meta-model. We combine the established high-level modelling languages MOF, OCL, and UML activities to create language models that cover abstract syntax, runtime configurations, and the behaviour of runtime elements. The method allows graphical and executable language models. These models are easy to read by humans and are formal enough to be processed in a generic model interpreter. We use Petri-nets as a running example to explain the method. The paper further proposes design patterns for common language concepts. The presented method was applied to the existing modelling language SDL to examine its applicability.