New DSL Platform for Cost-Efficient Development of Individual Modeling Languages

Konstanz, Germany, 28 September 2010 – Gentleware AG, a specialist in software modeling and automated software development, has announced a new platform - Poseidon for DSLs – that software teams can use to develop their own customized modeling languages (Domain Specific Languages – DSLs). This will reduce the barriers for the introduction of MDSD-technologies (Model Driven Software Development) considerably.

Thus far, to make use of all productivity increases of model driven software development (MDSD) with graphical modeling languages, you were limited in your choice of modeling languages to standardized and wide-spread languages such as UML for which good and affordable tools, e.g. Poseidon for UML, were already available. However, in order to generate software code from models automatically, UML has proven to be too clumsy. The idea of model-driven software development can reveal its potential for increasing productivity only if the model can well define the characteristics of a domain. UML cannot handle this. Furthermore, the UML meta-model in the meantime has become very complex. Modeling languages – also called domain specific languages or DSLs - that are customized to the domain are much more appropriate. However, there has been no tool to support this up to now.

To this end, the software modeling specialist Gentleware AG will launch a new platform in autumn 2010 that allows the creation of customized graphical modeling languages, the DSLs. Individual requirements for the modeling language can be taken into account via one’s own meta-model, which will lead to the generation of an appropriate tool. The relations or course of events of a domain can thus be displayed very easily, for example the events within a contract-customer-supplier relation. These relations are then used to automatically generate the software.

Company founder Prof. Dr. Marko Boger explains the advantages of the solution: ”Development teams are finally free in the handling of their graphical software modeling. They can integrate company-specific requirements and benefit from the advantages of software modeling in a way that has not been seen until now. With Poseidon for DSLs, developers can generate their own DSLS within only a few hours or days and use it for the generation of software code. We have developed a DSL for graphical modeling languages from which the tools for a customer-specific DSL are generated. From now on, the generation of a DSL will be a breeze and the barrier for the introduction of MDSD will be as low as possible.“

Software development teams are the main target group for this innovation, in addition to IT consulting companies who will use the new product to create appropriate tools for their customers. The platform contains more than 10 years experience in the development of modeling tools and automated software generation. It is based on the Eclipse modeling framework (EMF). The generated models can thus be used seamlessly for the generation of code in Eclipse.

Poseidon for DSLs will be presented officially at the MODELS 2010 conference in Oslo on 4 October 2010, where Prof. Dr. Boger will give a speech with the title: “Developing a Graphical DSL in under 3 Hours“: http://models2010.ifi.uio.no/tut-tab.shtml. The new software will then be available for download at www.gentleware.com.

The product can be downloaded from the Gentleware website and offers an interesting pricing model: The use of the DSL kit is completely free of charge. The user only registers for a license when the DSL development is completed and the user wants to save the created models. It is thus possible to test the new tool as long as needed without having to invest beforehand.

Gentleware AG is one of the pioneers in the area of software modeling and automated software generation. Millions of users and thousands of IT companies are customers of the German software company. Gentleware products and services enable its customers to transfer their concepts quickly from mode into the existing working procedures. The portfolio contains the development of company-specific applications, training and coaching in the area of software modeling, development of individual modeling languages, and in the generation of software code from the appropriate models. What always comes first is the increase in productivity and quality of software development, in order to achieve additional benefit or value for the customer.

The company offers three standard product lines: Poseidon for UML is designed for analysis, design, and documentation of software projects based on UML 2. Apollo for Eclipse handles roundtrip-engineering for the analysis of existing code within Eclipse. The latest Gentleware product, Poseidon for DSLs, allows the independent development of customized modeling languages.

The company was founded by CEO Prof. Dr. Marko Boger in 2000, who previously had also been the driving force behind the open source project ArgoUML. In addition to this, he accepted a professorship in the field of software architecture and software engineering at Konstanz University, Germany, (Hochschule für Technik, Wirtschaft und Gestaltung - HTWG) in autumn 2009. He thereby combines research and teaching with daily business software requirements. Gentleware has significantly contributed to the UML 2- and SysML-standards of OMG (Object Management Group) and takes part in major open source projects for model driven software development (MDSD).

Gentleware AG
Prof. Dr. Marko Boger
Zur Halde 16
78476 Allensbach-Hegne
Germany
Tel: +49 - 75 33 - 9 41 90 64
Fax: +49 - 75 33 - 9 41 90 65
marko.boger@gentleware.com
www.gentleware.com

Agency:
marketing teufel
Nicole Fischer
Bergedorfer Schloßstraße 15
21029 Hamburg
Germany
Tel: +49 - 040 – 60 53 55 07
Fax: +49 - 040 – 35 01 63 81
nicole.fischer@marketingteufel.com
www.marketingteufel.com

This release was published on openPR.