Modelling is an essential activity in software engineering processes. It typically involves two meta-levels: one includes meta-models that describe modelling languages, and the other contains models built by instantiating those meta-models. Multi-level modelling generalizes this approach by allowing models to span an arbitrary number of meta-levels. 

A scenario that profits from multi-level modelling is the definition of language families that become specialized by successive refinements at subsequent meta-levels, hence promoting language reuse. This enables an open set of variability options for the possible specializations of a given language. However, multi-level modelling lacks the ability to express closed variability regarding the supported language primitives and their realizations. This limits the reuse opportunities of a language family. To improve this situation, we propose a novel combination of product lines with multi-level modelling to cover both open and closed variability. Our proposal is backed by a formal theory that guarantees correctness, and is implemented atop the MetaDepth multi-level modelling tool.

Multi-level Model Product Lines: Open and closed variability for modelling language families

ETAPS is a confederation of several conferences, each with its own Programme Committee and Steering Committee. ETAPS is the most important and visible annual European event related to software sciences. Altogether, more than 500 researchers participate in this event every year. The confederated conferences cover various aspects of software systems, ranging from theoretical foundations to programming language developments, compiler advancements, analysis tools, formal approaches to software engineering, and security.

A gather.town room will be open during the whole conference, which can be found here:

https://gather.town/app/nSgVv0DDYoCkmdkP/ETAPS2021

Password: Luxembourg2021

This can be used to meet in the coffee breaks.

 PDF's of the papers are available on https://etaps.org/2021/programme