Simple Transformer

Ken Webb 2010-04-19T20:13:11Z

Simple Transformer (SiTra) is "a simple Java library for supporting a programming approach to writing transformations".

In their 2006 paper SiTra: Simple Transformations in Java, Akehurst, Bordbar, Evans, Howells, and McDonald-Maier introduce SiTra and the concepts behind it. SiTra is targeted at experienced software developers who realize the potential benefits of Model Driven Development (MDD), but just don't have the time to learn the complexities of today's full-featured MDD environments. "In the case of smaller groups of developers and newcomers to MDD, the combined effort involved in becoming an expert in the two sets of skills described above [knowledge of the source and target domains, knowledge of model transformation] is overwhelming". The SiTra team offers "a simple Java library for supporting a programming approach to writing transformations".

The authors describe a number of approaches to model transformation. Interestingly, one programmatic approach they mention, but don't adopt, is use of the Visitor pattern. Visitor is a basic approach used in Xholon (for example). They mention two possible drawbacks.

But in a Xholon application, every node implements the IXholon interface, and all of these nodes are organized in a tree structure.

SiTra is an approach and tool well worth a closer look.

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