Implementation

We have implemented a multi-tool, multi-user, multi-paradigm metaCASE environment called MetaEdit+ (see figure) which uses a client-server architecture. The environment has been implemented in VisualWorks Smalltalk using the ArtBase object repository system and NEDT graphical programming environment. The environment can run on all major platforms including UNIX, Windows, NT and Macintosh.

The clickable map of the architecture of the MetaEdit+ environment leads to the individual components below. The publications relating to each component are a very rough set only.

Architecture

Repository

MetaEdit+ uses the ArtBASE object store as the underlying 'database' for its repository.

Kelly, S., "Towards a Comprehensive MetaCASE and CAME Environment: Conceptual, Architectural, Functional and Usability Advances in MetaEdit+", Ph.D. Thesis, Jyväskylä University, 1997 (Chapter 5)

Network

MetaEdit+ works over TCP/IP using sockets; it can also work without sockets, using shared files. Heterogenous clients (different flavours of Windows and/or Unix) can communicate seamlessly.

MetaEngine

The MetaEngine embodies both the GOPRR meta-metamodel (data model) and the implementation of operations on this conceptual data, and also some common functionality shared by several tools. It also handles all communication between tools and clients, via the repository.

Kelly, S., "Towards a Comprehensive MetaCASE and CAME Environment: Conceptual, Architectural, Functional and Usability Advances in MetaEdit+", Ph.D. Thesis, Jyväskylä University, 1997 (Chapter 4, Section 4 & 4.1; Appendix 1 describes GOPRR)

Model Editing

Diagram Editor

• Kelly, S., "Towards a Comprehensive MetaCASE and CAME Environment: Conceptual, Architectural, Functional and Usability Advances in MetaEdit+", Ph.D. Thesis, Jyväskylä University, 1997 (Chapter 4, Section 5.1).

  (see also section 2.1.1 in online manual).

Matrix Editor

• Kelly, S., A Matrix Editor for a MetaCASE Environment, in Information and Software Technology, vol. 36 no. 6, June 1994.

  Kelly, S., "Towards a Comprehensive MetaCASE and CAME Environment: Conceptual, Architectural, Functional and Usability Advances in MetaEdit+", Ph.D. Thesis, Jyväskylä University, 1997 (Chapter 4, Section 5.2).

  (see also section 2.1.2 in online manual).

  Kelly, S., Rossi, M., "Differences in Method Engineering Performance with Graphical and Matrix Tools: A Preliminary Empirical Study", Proceedings of 2nd CAiSE/IFIP8.1 International Workshop on Evaluation of Modeling Methods in Systems Analysis and Design, EMMSAD'97, June 16--17, Barcelona, Spain, Siau et al (Ed.), 1997

Table Editor

• Kelly, S., "Towards a Comprehensive MetaCASE and CAME Environment: Conceptual, Architectural, Functional and Usability Advances in MetaEdit+", Ph.D. Thesis, Jyväskylä University, 1997 (Chapter 4, Section 5.3).

  (see also section 2.1.3 in online manual).

Model Retrieval

Repository Browsers

• Kelly, S., "Towards a Comprehensive MetaCASE and CAME Environment: Conceptual, Architectural, Functional and Usability Advances in MetaEdit+", Ph.D. Thesis, Jyväskylä University, 1997 (Chapter 4, Section 6.1).

  (see also section 2.2.3 in online manual).

Query Editor

• Liu, H., A Visual Approach to Querying the CASE Repository - A Requirements Analysis, in Proceedings of the sixth Workshop on the next generation of CASE tools, G. Grosz (ed.), Jyväskylä, Finland, pp. 143-160, June 1995.

  Liu, H., A Visual Interface for Querying a CASE Repository, in Proceedings of the 11th IEEE Symposium on Visual Languages, V. Haarslev (ed.), Darmstadt, Germany, pp. 21-28, September 1995.

  Liu H., On a Visual Approach of Querying the CASE repository, Licentiate thesis, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, 1996.

Report Editor

• Kelly, S., "Towards a Comprehensive MetaCASE and CAME Environment: Conceptual, Architectural, Functional and Usability Advances in MetaEdit+", Ph.D. Thesis, Jyväskylä University, 1997 (Chapter 4, Section 7.3; Chapter 5, Section 3.3.2).

  Tolvanen, J.-P., Kelly, S., "MetaEdit+ User's Guide", Technical Report, Department of Computer Science and information Systems, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, 1995 (see also section 3.3.5 in online manual).

Model Linking & Annotation

Hypertext tools

• Oinas-Kukkonen, H., Hypermedia Functionality in Modelling Tools, Proceedings of the Second International Workshop on Incorporating Hypertext Functionality into Software Systems (HTF '96), Ashman, H. et al (eds.) Washington, USA, March 1996.

Debate Browser

• Oinas-Kukkonen, H., Debate Browser - An Argumentation Tool for MetaEdit+ Environment, Proceedings of the Seventh European Workshop on the Next Generation of CASE Tools (NGCT '96), Crete, Greece, May 1996. (a)

Method Management

Graph, Object, Relationship, Role and Property Tools

• Kelly, S., Lyytinen, K., Rossi, M., MetaEdit+: A Fully Configurable Multi-User and Multi-Tool CASE and CAME Environment, in Proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Advanced Information Systems Engineering, CAiSE'96, Heraklion, Crete, Greece, May 1996, Constantopoulos et al. (eds.), Springer-Verlag, Lecture Notes in Computer Science N:o 1080, Heidelberg, pp. 1-21, 1996.

  (see also section 5.2 in online manual)

Symbol Editor

See section 5.2 in online manual

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Pages created by Steven Kelly. Last update July 5, 1999 by Jouni Huotari.