Title: Applying Aspect-Oriented Techniques to Domain-Specific Modeling

Presenter: Jeff Gray, Vanderbilt University
           http://www.vuse.vanderbilt.edu/~jgray

ABSTRACT

Modularization constructs for proper separation of concerns have
always been at the heart of software engineering. A growing
area of research, called Aspect-Oriented Programming (AOP), provides
new constructs for separating properties that crosscut a system.
The primary emphasis in this research has been the application
of AOP ideas to programming languages.  (See reference 1)

Model-integrated computing (MIC) has been shown to provide a
beneficial technology for composing domain-specific modeling
environments. Using MIC, a metamodel is created that represents
the elements of a domain, the valid connections and constraints
within a domain, and even the visualization characteristics within
the domain. From the metamodel, a customized design environment is
generated. Modelers can then create models in this environment using
the nomenclature found in the domain. These models can then be analyzed,
interpreted, or even synthesized into hardware or software. (See 
reference 2)

An overview of AOP and MIC will be presented. The core research 
objective provided in the talk will be the extension of MIC using 
aspect-oriented principles. (See reference 3)

REFERENCES

1 - Tzilla Elrad, Robert Filman, Atef Bader, editors, "Special Issue on
Aspect-Oriented Programming," Communications of the ACM, October 2001.

2 - Akos Ledeczi, Arpad Bakay, Miklos Maroti, Peter Volgyesi,
Greg Nordstrom, Jonathan Sprinkle, Gabor Karsai, "Composing
Domain-Specific Design Environments," IEEE Computer, November 2001.

3 - Jeff Gray, Ted Bapty, Sandeep Neema, James Tuck, "Handling
Crosscutting Constraints in Domain-Specific Modeling,"
Communications of the ACM, October 2001.

BIO

Jeff Gray is a doctoral candidate in the Electrical Engineering
and Computer Science department at Vanderbilt University. He
is currently a research assistant at the Institute for Software
Integrated Systems (ISIS) at Vanderbilt and is currently working on the
DARPA PCES (Program Composition for Embedded Systems) project. Prior to
PCES, Jeff worked on a project at Vanderbilt for Boeing's JSF submission, 
and was an intern at IBM's TJ Watson Research Center. He has also worked 
with his advisor, Steve Schach, on the past three editions of Steve's 
software engineering textbook (published by McGraw-Hill).