Transformation Nets - A Runtime Model for Transformation Languages

Model-Driven Engineering places models as first-class artifacts throughout the software lifecycle requiring the availability of proper transformation languages. Although numerous approaches are available, they lack convenient facilities for supporting debugging and understanding of the transformation logic. This is not least because transformation engines operate on a low level of abstraction, hide the operational semantics of a transformation and scatter metamodels, models, transformation logic, and trace information across different artifacts. To tackle these problems, we propose a DSL on top of Colored Petri Nets (CPNs)—called Transformation Nets—for the development, execution and debugging of model transformations on a high level of abstraction. This formalism makes the afore hidden operational semantics explicit by providing a runtime model in terms of places, transitions and tokens, and ensures a homogenous view on transformations by representing them on the basis of the runtime model.