Constraint Validation in Model Compilers

Model transformation has become one of the most focused research field, motivated by for instance the OMG’s Model-Driven Architecture (MDA). Metamodeling is a central technique in the design of visual languages, and it reuses existing domains by extending the metamodel level. Metamodel-based software development requires the transformation of the models between various stages. These transformation steps must be formally and precisely specified, which can be accomplished along with constraints enlisted in transformation steps. Our metamodel-based approach uses graph rewriting techniques for model transformation. This paper summarizes our results related to the metamodel-based constraint validation during the model transformation. This work presents the Rule Constraint Validator (RCV) algorithm, the Invariant Analysis (IA) algorithm, the Persistent Analysis (PA) algorithm and the combination of the RCV and PA algorithms which results the Optimized Rule Constraint Validator (ORCV) algorithm. An illustrative case study for constraint validation in rewriting rules is also provided.