Task Completeness Assessments in the Evolution of Domain-Specific Modelling Languages

Vijanti Ramautar; Sergio España; Sjaak Brinkkemper

doi:10.1007/978-3-031-34560-9_19

Task Completeness Assessments in the Evolution of Domain-Specific Modelling Languages

Vijanti Ramautar^*, Sergio España, Sjaak Brinkkemper

^*Corresponding author for this work

Sub Software Production

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

[Background] Domain-specific modelling languages (DSMLs) are tailored to particular application domains and are common in model-driven information system engineering. To support new modelling requirements, increase the maturity of the languages, and keep them relevant to their domain, DSMLs need to be evolved. [Aims] Since little is known regarding the complexity of the evolution process, in this paper, we investigate which incompletions are prevalent in each DSML evolution activity. [Method] We conduct a quantitative empirical study where the object of study, a DSML in the domain of ethical, social and environmental accounting, is supported by a metamodel in UML and a textual grammar in Xtext. Ninety-two participants grouped in 25 teams have evolved the DSML based on a set of new requirements, updating the metamodel and the grammar. We assess the completeness of each evolution activity and identify incompletions per artefact. We have also enquired the participants about their perceptions of the evolution process. [Results] The completeness of the metamodel evolution activity is about 1.25 times higher than it is for the grammar. The metamodelling primitives that are more likely to cause problems are relationships and enumerations. With respect to the Xtext grammars most incompletions are localised in rule calls, cross references and cardinalities. This is consistent with the participants’ perceptions about the difficulty of each activity and primitive. [Contribution] Our findings are relevant for the design and testing of DSMLs, as well as for education on DSMLs.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Advanced Information Systems Engineering
Subtitle of host publication	35th International Conference, CAiSE 2023, Zaragoza, Spain, June 12–16, 2023, Proceedings
Editors	M. Indulska, I. Reinhartz-Berger, C. Cetina, O. Pastor
Publisher	Springer
Pages	314–329
Number of pages	16
ISBN (Electronic)	978-3-031-34560-9
ISBN (Print)	978-3-031-34559-3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-34560-9_19
Publication status	Published - 8 Jun 2023
Event	International Conference on Advanced Information Systems Engineering 2023 - Duration: 12 Jun 2023 → … Conference number: 35

Publication series

Name	Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)
Volume	13901 LNCS
ISSN (Print)	0302-9743
ISSN (Electronic)	1611-3349

Conference

Conference	International Conference on Advanced Information Systems Engineering 2023
Abbreviated title	CAISE 2023
Period	12/06/23 → …

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

Funding

Funders	Funder number
AETHER-US	TED2021-130355B-C32, PID2020-112540RB-C44
Building Semantic Models for the Process Mining Pipeline
COPERNICA	P20-01224
Centro para el Desar-rollo Tecnológico Industrial
European Union Next Generation EU/PRTR
European Union NextGenerationEU/PRTR	PID2021-125438OB-I00
Fabi-ano Dalpiaz and Jelena Zdravkovic
Foundations of Trustworthy AI
French national program	192906122-RAPID
John Krogstie and Camille Salinesi
Jorge Echeverria and Africa Domingo
METAMORFOSIS	US-1381375
PNRR MUR	PE0000013-FAIR
Panel Chairs
Research Project Exhibition Chairs
SAP SE
SREC	PID2021-123824OB-I00
Sergio España and Monica Vitali
Sponsor Chairs
Sustainability Chairs
Tutorial Chairs
Valencian Innovation Agency and Innovation	INNEST/2021/57
Web and Social Media Chairs
National Science Foundation	1952225
Horizon 2020 Framework Programme
European Commission	101087529, 952215, 870811
European Research Council
Australian Research Council	DP180102839
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft	390621612, 277991500, EXC-2023
Agence Nationale de la Recherche	ANR-19-CE25-0003
National Natural Science Foundation of China	61832014, 61832004
Ministerstvo Školství, Mládeže a Tělovýchovy
Centro para el Desarrollo Tecnológico Industrial	IDI-20210948
Eesti Teadusagentuur	PRG1226
Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung	16DII133
Bayerische Forschungsstiftung	AZ-1390-19
Generalitat Valenciana	CIPROM/2021/023
Ministero dell’Istruzione, dell’Università e della Ricerca	ECS00000041, 2017TWRCNB
Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea	PIF20/236
European Social Fund Plus
Norges Forskningsråd	262854/F20
European Regional Development Fund	CZ LM2018140, 2014-2020.4.01.16-0024, CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/16 019/0000822
Agencia Estatal de Investigación	PDC2021-121243-I00, MICIN/AEI/10.13039/501 100011033
National Key Research and Development Program of China	2020AAA0107800, 2021YFB3300700

Keywords

Model-driven information systems engineering
domain-specific modelling language
evolution
Xtext grammar
metamodel

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10.1007/978-3-031-34560-9_19

978-3-031-34560-9_19Final published version, 1.64 MBLicence: Taverne

Cite this

Ramautar, V., España, S., & Brinkkemper, S. (2023). Task Completeness Assessments in the Evolution of Domain-Specific Modelling Languages. In M. Indulska, I. Reinhartz-Berger, C. Cetina, & O. Pastor (Eds.), Advanced Information Systems Engineering: 35th International Conference, CAiSE 2023, Zaragoza, Spain, June 12–16, 2023, Proceedings (pp. 314–329). (Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics); Vol. 13901 LNCS). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-34560-9_19

Ramautar, Vijanti ; España, Sergio ; Brinkkemper, Sjaak. / Task Completeness Assessments in the Evolution of Domain-Specific Modelling Languages. Advanced Information Systems Engineering: 35th International Conference, CAiSE 2023, Zaragoza, Spain, June 12–16, 2023, Proceedings. editor / M. Indulska ; I. Reinhartz-Berger ; C. Cetina ; O. Pastor. Springer, 2023. pp. 314–329 (Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)).

@inproceedings{13830d3df2334fb6bfd9077d8d4d65a9,

title = "Task Completeness Assessments in the Evolution of Domain-Specific Modelling Languages",

abstract = "[Background] Domain-specific modelling languages (DSMLs) are tailored to particular application domains and are common in model-driven information system engineering. To support new modelling requirements, increase the maturity of the languages, and keep them relevant to their domain, DSMLs need to be evolved. [Aims] Since little is known regarding the complexity of the evolution process, in this paper, we investigate which incompletions are prevalent in each DSML evolution activity. [Method] We conduct a quantitative empirical study where the object of study, a DSML in the domain of ethical, social and environmental accounting, is supported by a metamodel in UML and a textual grammar in Xtext. Ninety-two participants grouped in 25 teams have evolved the DSML based on a set of new requirements, updating the metamodel and the grammar. We assess the completeness of each evolution activity and identify incompletions per artefact. We have also enquired the participants about their perceptions of the evolution process. [Results] The completeness of the metamodel evolution activity is about 1.25 times higher than it is for the grammar. The metamodelling primitives that are more likely to cause problems are relationships and enumerations. With respect to the Xtext grammars most incompletions are localised in rule calls, cross references and cardinalities. This is consistent with the participants{\textquoteright} perceptions about the difficulty of each activity and primitive. [Contribution] Our findings are relevant for the design and testing of DSMLs, as well as for education on DSMLs.",

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Ramautar, V, España, S & Brinkkemper, S 2023, Task Completeness Assessments in the Evolution of Domain-Specific Modelling Languages. in M Indulska, I Reinhartz-Berger, C Cetina & O Pastor (eds), Advanced Information Systems Engineering: 35th International Conference, CAiSE 2023, Zaragoza, Spain, June 12–16, 2023, Proceedings. Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics), vol. 13901 LNCS, Springer, pp. 314–329, International Conference on Advanced Information Systems Engineering 2023, 12/06/23. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-34560-9_19

Task Completeness Assessments in the Evolution of Domain-Specific Modelling Languages. / Ramautar, Vijanti; España, Sergio ; Brinkkemper, Sjaak.
Advanced Information Systems Engineering: 35th International Conference, CAiSE 2023, Zaragoza, Spain, June 12–16, 2023, Proceedings. ed. / M. Indulska; I. Reinhartz-Berger; C. Cetina; O. Pastor. Springer, 2023. p. 314–329 (Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics); Vol. 13901 LNCS).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › Academic › peer-review

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AU - Brinkkemper, Sjaak

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N2 - [Background] Domain-specific modelling languages (DSMLs) are tailored to particular application domains and are common in model-driven information system engineering. To support new modelling requirements, increase the maturity of the languages, and keep them relevant to their domain, DSMLs need to be evolved. [Aims] Since little is known regarding the complexity of the evolution process, in this paper, we investigate which incompletions are prevalent in each DSML evolution activity. [Method] We conduct a quantitative empirical study where the object of study, a DSML in the domain of ethical, social and environmental accounting, is supported by a metamodel in UML and a textual grammar in Xtext. Ninety-two participants grouped in 25 teams have evolved the DSML based on a set of new requirements, updating the metamodel and the grammar. We assess the completeness of each evolution activity and identify incompletions per artefact. We have also enquired the participants about their perceptions of the evolution process. [Results] The completeness of the metamodel evolution activity is about 1.25 times higher than it is for the grammar. The metamodelling primitives that are more likely to cause problems are relationships and enumerations. With respect to the Xtext grammars most incompletions are localised in rule calls, cross references and cardinalities. This is consistent with the participants’ perceptions about the difficulty of each activity and primitive. [Contribution] Our findings are relevant for the design and testing of DSMLs, as well as for education on DSMLs.

AB - [Background] Domain-specific modelling languages (DSMLs) are tailored to particular application domains and are common in model-driven information system engineering. To support new modelling requirements, increase the maturity of the languages, and keep them relevant to their domain, DSMLs need to be evolved. [Aims] Since little is known regarding the complexity of the evolution process, in this paper, we investigate which incompletions are prevalent in each DSML evolution activity. [Method] We conduct a quantitative empirical study where the object of study, a DSML in the domain of ethical, social and environmental accounting, is supported by a metamodel in UML and a textual grammar in Xtext. Ninety-two participants grouped in 25 teams have evolved the DSML based on a set of new requirements, updating the metamodel and the grammar. We assess the completeness of each evolution activity and identify incompletions per artefact. We have also enquired the participants about their perceptions of the evolution process. [Results] The completeness of the metamodel evolution activity is about 1.25 times higher than it is for the grammar. The metamodelling primitives that are more likely to cause problems are relationships and enumerations. With respect to the Xtext grammars most incompletions are localised in rule calls, cross references and cardinalities. This is consistent with the participants’ perceptions about the difficulty of each activity and primitive. [Contribution] Our findings are relevant for the design and testing of DSMLs, as well as for education on DSMLs.

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Ramautar V, España S , Brinkkemper S. Task Completeness Assessments in the Evolution of Domain-Specific Modelling Languages. In Indulska M, Reinhartz-Berger I, Cetina C, Pastor O, editors, Advanced Information Systems Engineering: 35th International Conference, CAiSE 2023, Zaragoza, Spain, June 12–16, 2023, Proceedings. Springer. 2023. p. 314–329. (Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)). doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-34560-9_19

Task Completeness Assessments in the Evolution of Domain-Specific Modelling Languages

Abstract

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Keywords

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