Automated Domain-Specific Modeling Languages for Generating Framework-Based Applications

The adoption of Domain-Specific Modeling Languages (DSMLs) for generating framework-based applications has proved to be an effective way of enforcing the correct use of frameworks and improve the productivity of application developers. However, the development of the code generator of a DSML is typically a laborious task with difficulties in what concerns complexity, understandability, and maintainability. In this paper, we address this problem with a new approach for developing DSMLs for frameworks that allows to eliminate the need of implementing code generators. The approach relies on the extension of frameworks with an additional layer based on aspect-oriented programming that encodes a DSML. By means of a generic language workbench, framework-based applications can be generated from application models described in that DSML. The proposed language workbench was implemented in a prototype tool and a case study on the Eclipse Rich Client Platform was performed.