A Survey on Transformation Tools for ModelBased User Interface Development

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A Survey on Transformation Tools for Model-Based
User Interface Development

• Robbie Schäfer Paderborn University / C-LAB

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Outline

• Motivation
• Transformations in Model-based User Interface
  Development
• Comparison of Transformation Approaches
• Conclusion

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Motivation Many Devices

• Different ways to access to the same service
  (e.g. hotel booking)
• Varying interaction modalities
• Different devices
• Different UI-toolkits
• How can different devices and modalities be
  supported?

Motivation Transformation Comparison Conclusion
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Motivation Different Users in Varying Contexts

• User Interfaces have to be adapted to individual
  preferences and capabilities
• How can the users capabilities and preferences
  be captured?
• How can the user interfaces be adapted?
• How does the context of use control the
  adaptation?

Motivation Transformation Comparison Conclusion
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Solution Model-based User Interface Development
Motivation Transformation Comparison Conclusion
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Transformations needed in Model-based User
Interface Development Approach

• Model Transformations
• Transformations of UIDLs
• Transformations for optimizations
• Profile Conversion and Evolution

Motivation Transformation Comparison Conclusion
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Selection Criteria for Transformation Systems

• Large number of transformation systems in
  computing
• Even if constrained to MDA gt20 systems
• UI-Development (still) has models and
  transformation systems differing from Software
  Engineering
• Candidates selected because
• Allow generic model transformation
• And successfully applied for UI transformation
• And / or provide useful aspects for UI
  transformation
• Selected Graph Transformation, ATL, TXL, 4DML,
  UIML peers, XSLT, GAC, RDL/TT

Motivation Transformation Comparison Conclusion
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The Selected Canditates (1)

• Graph transformations (GT)
• Formal approach for UI abstractions which are
  specified with graphs
• Embedded in UsiXML
• Allows transformation of almost all levels of
  abstractions
• Atlas Transformation Language (ATL)
• Hybrid approach with declarative matching rules
  (patterns OCL expressions)
• Imperative constructs for matching rules
• Works on models only
• Rule Description Language for Tree Transformation
  (RDL/TT)
• General XML transformation language
• Mainly used for UI adaptation
• Simple source matching, target defined with
  Java-like constructs

Motivation Transformation Comparison Conclusion
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The Selected Canditates (2)

• TXL
• Broad Scope, also used for model transformations
• Specification of Structure with BNF
• Transformation rules (pattern / replace) and
  functional programming
• Allows for the transformation to concrete UI
  instance
• Four-Dimensional Markup Language (4DML)
• General purpose but used for UI adaptation
• Transformations between completely different
  notations
• Views Data as n-dimensional structures
• Declarative source matching and target definition

Motivation Transformation Comparison Conclusion
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The Selected Canditates (3)

• User Interface Markup Language (UIML)
• UIML is XML-based UI Description language
• Allows mapping to target interfaces
• Linear transformations
• Extensible Stylesheet Language Transformations
  (XSLT)
• XML transformation language
• Used for UI transformations e.g. XHTML conversion
• Recursive application of template rules and
  patterns
• General Adaptation Component (GAC)
• XML transformation language
• Developed for adaptation of web content
• Transformations described with RDF

Motivation Transformation Comparison Conclusion
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Comparison of Different Transformation Tools
Motivation Transformation Comparison Conclusion
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Conclusion

• Looked at several systems for UI transformation
• Studied only language features, not real
  performance
• Decision for one approach largely depends on
• The modeling tasks
• The model representation formats
• The targeted application
• The developers familiarity with a certain
  programming model
• Transformations working on XML model
  representations can help to bypass or improve
  transformations in UI modeling tools

Motivation Transformation Comparison Conclusion
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