OpenIDL : an open modelling language based on IDL

The aim of this paper is to propose an open object-oriented modelling language (Java [5], C++ [7], Eiffel [9]...) that we named OpenIDL. This is an extension of IDL which implements the approach promoted by the OFL (Open Flexible Language) model [1,2,3,4]. This model intends to customise the behaviour of relationships between classes (we call them descriptions). OpenIDL handles two different programming levels: a meta-programming level, which provides facilities to the user for the definition of new kinds of relationships between descriptions and a basic programming level which allows the user to describe the use of those relationships in order to write a program. OpenIDL should also provide some support for language inter-operability and routine body description. One of the main benefits of such an open architecture is to reduce the gap between the design and the programming phases and to facilitate retro-engineering.