Evaluation of UML Model Transformation Tools

This work has been finished in June 2005.

MDA(Model Driven Architecture) defines a software development process. Three models build the core of the MDA: PIM (Platform Independent Model), PSM (Platform Specific Model) and Code. The developers of software are only required to concentrate on developing models in PIM format. The transformation to PSM and Code, which is the traditional understanding for UML model transformation can be automatically achieved by using general transformation tools.

The traditional way of developing UML transformations is usually to develop a specific one to one transformation using a fixed set of rules and profiles. The development of the transformation is usually complicated and time consuming. Due to the many different forms of UML, the transformation between these UMLs has been proved to be a very tough and inefficient.

Since the introduction of MDA, MOF(Meta Object Facility) and QVT (Query, View and Transformation) concepts from the Object Management Group(OMG), UML transformations come to a new era. Many working groups have presented their concepts and made their implementation using these definitions.

This diploma thesis gives an introduction to the principle of UML transformation according to MDA, MOF and QVT. It also gives an evaluation of the up to date model transformation tools based on these concepts to show their strength and weaknesses. These state of the art transformation tools are built according to OMG MOF 2.0 Query / View / Transformation. The evaluated tools are UMT, MTL, ATL, GMT, BOTL and OptimalJ.

In this diploma thesis the analysis methods described in a review of OMG MOF 2.0 QVT [Gardner03]are used. The evaluation of the transformation tools has been done in a set of aspects, such as scalability, simplicity and bi-directionality of mappings.

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