MetaCase Newsletter 2014/1

February 2014

Primer for MERL code generation

The first newsletter of 2014 focuses on generators. If you haven't tried writing generators in MetaEdit+, we'd like to make it as easy as possible for you to get started. Learning a new language always takes a little investment, but using the right language for a task pays off handsomely. The MetaEdit+ Reporting Language, MERL, is designed from the ground up for turning MetaEdit+ models into text, and comes with full tooling for developing and debugging generators. To help you get started, we've made a new MERL Primer to take you from Hello World to writing powerful generators with ease. There's even a video highlighting navigation and execution context in MERL.


In this issue: 

  • Primer for MERL code generation
  • MetaCase CEO invited to deliver keynote at Code Generation 2014
  • Invitation to Code Generation Conference
  • Using MERL generators for parsing and model integration: a case with Simulink
  • From the forums: Accessing properties in collection
  • 19th March: Webinar on creating Domain-Specific Modeling languages with MetaEdit+ 5.0
  • Upcoming events: Language Workbench Challenge, Code Generation Conference

MetaCase CEO invited to deliver keynote at Code Generation 2014

Over the last years Code Generation conference has cemented its place as the leading European event for model-driven development and domain-specific languages. This year Dr. Juha-Pekka Tolvanen will deliver the keynote "the business cases for modeling and generators". He will discuss what is needed to define languages and generators of good quality, which kinds of approaches to avoid, and which kinds of approaches are more likely to succeed.

We hope to see many of you at Code Generation 2014, which will be held on 9-11 April 2014 in Cambridge, UK.


Invitation to Code Generation Conference

The Code Generation Conference is the Europe's leading hands-on conference on Model-Driven Development. This year MetaCase will provide several talks addressing different aspects of Domain-Specific Modeling: languages, tools, how to introduce MDD successfully into your organization, and naturally hands-on sessions too. The talks include:

  • 9th April 11:00: MetaEdit+ hands-on tutorial has been voted several years as one of the best sessions at Code Generation conference. Join us for the 3 hour hands on session and create 5 graphical modeling languages for a selected domain — and we don't forget making code generators either. Register early as seats are limited!
  • 10th April 9:00: Keynote by Juha-Pekka Tolvanen, MetaCase.
  • 10th April 10:45: Steven Kelly describes the roadmap for successfully introducing MDD into your organization, in both concrete and human terms. Drawing from experiences over the past fifteen years he will pinpoint the key challenges organizations usually face during MDD adoption, and practical solutions to overcome them. Participants will roll their sleeves up together to consider example cases and their own organization's situation.
  • 10th April 13:15: Steven Kelly orchestrates the session considered the best at Code Generation 2013: Have your language built while you wait. Join us and get a first version of your language implemented, in each of several tools, by an expert in that tool and DSM!

Full program is available at Code Generation 2014.


Using MERL Generators for parsing and tool integration: a case with Simulink

Generators are typically used to produce artifacts like code from the models. Generators in MetaEdit+ can also read and parse text from external sources. One typical case is importing data from files into models, but they can also be used for checking and feedback between models in MetaEdit+ and external data.

A video on integrating with Simulink models describe this feature: the consistency between models of MetaEdit+ and models of Simulink is checked by MetaEdit+: a generator parses Simulink models and reports on inconsistencies among the models. Since the checks are performed by a MERL generator they are fully open and customizable for various checking needs — just like all languages and generators in MetaEdit+. See the video on using MERL generators for consistency checking with Simulink on the MetaEdit+ YouTube channel.


From the Forums: Accessing properties in collection

When you have a question, the MetaEdit+ Web Forums have have proven to be a great way to get accurate answers quickly. At the same time, your question helps others for the future: some threads have been read over 20 000 times. 

This issue's highlighted topic comes from Jiarui who asks about accessing properties in a collection.

*** 

Q: If I define a property, and the datatype of it is Collection, the item type is String, now I want to traverse all the items one by one, how can I get it? Thank you !
________ 

A: You can iterate over the strings with a do loop, e.g.
do :MyProperty
{ id newline
}
***

See other topics from the MetaEdit+ Web Forums here.


19th March: Webinar on Domain-Specific Modeling with MetaEdit+

This 30-minute webinar will demonstrate how MetaEdit+ allows you to incrementally define your own modeling tool — without having to write a single line of code. As soon as you define a modeling language, or even a partial prototype, you and your team can start to use it in MetaEdit+. You will learn:n:

  • How to define domain-specific languages with MetaEdit+
  • How to define rich, dynamically changing notations 
  • How MetaEdit+ updates models on the fly as the modeling language changes
  • How to test and debug the modeling language and generator 

For the webinar you can use your computer's microphone and speakers — a headset is recommended. The schedule for the webinars and instructions are available on the webinar page.

Alongside the webinars, we're also offering company-specific webmeetings for DSM. These allow us to focus on your particular vertical, e.g. automotive, product line, UI, telecom or service specification. We can show you and your team DSM languages and cases from your vertical as well as discussing your company-specific requirements — all of course with no obligation. Book your own free one-to-one webmeeting now!


Upcoming events

Meet our experts and see a demonstration of Domain-Specific Modeling with MetaEdit+ at any of the following events:

Language Workbench Challenge, Cambridge, UK, 8 April

Code Generation 2014, Cambridge, UK, 9-11 April