Generating Graphical DSLs

The University of Konstanz (HTWG) and Gentleware AG have developed a modeling tool platform to develop modeling tools. This allows the user to create his own graphical modeling tool as DSL within hours. The models are stored in the current EMF and thus can then be used in code generation. The graphical editor is generated on the basis of an EMF metamodel and a set of textual models, that describe the details of the modeling language and modeling tool infrastructure. The approach combines ten years of experience from building the UML tool Poseidon for UML and years of applying GMF. The approach is similar to GMF but tries to alleviate its disadvantages. Specifically, the runtime was developed with code generation as a goal and the generator input are textual models built using Xtext. The platform can be used to build any kind of node-and-edge-type diagram. We use it to build a full-featured industrial-strength UML tool.