Comparing tools?

Automating development with domain-specific modeling involves evaluating existing tools and their features, related costs and availability of supporting services. The criteria below aim to help you in comparing MetaEdit+ with alternative tools that you may have in mind.

Feel free to copy this for making your comparison. Let us know if we missed any relevant features!

Tool features	MetaEdit+	Other tool
Language development
Several integrated modeling languages
Multiple simultaneous metamodelers
Language definition tools (metamodeling)	Both graphical and form-based
Integrated metamodeling and modeling (test the language while defining it simultaneously)	Integrated tools
Automated language deployment to modelers
Metamodel coverage for rules and constraints of the language	Rule and constraint definition tools + generator-based constraints and regular expressions
Metamodel checking during language definition
Traceability between elements of a metamodel	Bi-directional: trace who is using the element and what elements are used
Metamodel evolution	Deployed language can be safely changed
A metamodel specifies one language or multiple languages	Both possible
Automatic models-updating upon metamodel change
Support for old language versions
A repository to handle various metamodels	Object Repository
Import and export of metamodels	XML and binary formats. These can cover also notation (symbols), constraints and generators
Library of metamodels	70+ languages available
Extend UML with stereotypes, tagged values and constraints	Possible, but why? Modifying a metamodel gives more power: can also remove unnecessary elements, add new types etc.
Symbol and representation definition
Specifying notation for the language	Draw in Symbol Editor or import symbols
Rich notation (more than just an icon for nodes and a line for arcs)	Symbols for objects, relationships, roles and properties
Symbols can change based on model data	Generator-based symbol elements, conditional symbols, regular expressions, ports in symbol to connect with etc.
Library of symbols available	Several hundred notational elements
Import (and export) symbols	Scalable vector graphics (SVG) and bitmaps supported
Access and modify notation with any programming language/platform	SOAP/Webservices API
Modeling tool development automated	Editors immediately available with icons, menus, toolbars, printing, autolayot, dialogs, custom layouts etc.
Generator definition
Generator and metamodel are integrated
Supports straight model-to-code transformations	No intermediary formats needed
Support for templates, visitor pattern, crawlers and multiple streams
Syntax highlighting and output filtering	Generator Editor
Generator debugging	Generator Debugger
Generated and hand-written code can be separated
Protected blocks can be defined into the generated result
Many to many mappings from models to files
Read and parse external files
Modeling with your language
Support for different kind of editors	Diagram, Matrix and Table editors
Support for modeling operations (copy/paste, reuse, replace, group, layout, grids, zooms, model hierarchies etc)
Support for multiple concurrent modelers	Multi-user and single-user functionality
Automatic validation of models based on the metamodel
Constraints can be checked at modeling time or when wanted	Automatically available based on the metamodel or based on model-checking reports
Link and reuse among models	As defined in the metamodels
Models update automatically if a new language version is available	If desired
Models can be saved and stored using the older language version	If desired
Model browsing tools	Various browsers
Document generation	Predefined, customizable generators for RTF/Word and HTML
Metrics and model checking
Traceability between model elements
Import and export of models	XML and binary format, includes also representations
Model-to-model transformation	With Generator Editor using XML as intermediary format, or directly using the API
Access and modify models with any programming language/platform	SOAP/Webservices API available for almost any programming language and platform
Reverse engineering	With XML import, API, or generator language (MERL)
Trace back from generated code to models	Live-code function: click the generated code to see the model
Animate models during program execution (in IDE, emulator or in real target)	Animate with API
UML support	UML metamodel is one of the many included
Other
Can be integrated with other tools (IDE, versioning, emulator, etc).	Easy as based on most commonly applied integration techniques, Webservices/SOAP and XML
Easy to use and learn
Other technologies required
Runs on different platforms	Multiple platforms supported, also heterogeneous platform set-up supported
Manuals available	for modeling, metamodeling and sysadmin

Supporting services	MetaEdit+	Other tool
Maintenance
Support and helpdesk
Training services	- DSM creation for experts - DSM use for modelers - Organizational change for Q&A, process, management
Consulting services