Domain-specific model differencing for graphical domain-specific languages

Abstract

The evolution of models as a result of collaborative effort must be tracked and maintained. The usage of text-based version control systems is ubiquitous, however, it does not assist domain users in comprehending the semantics of model differences. To overcome these concerns, we propose ---called DSMCompare---, a complete solution. It considers both the abstract and concrete syntax of a domain-specific language (DSL) to express model differences and facilitates the definition of domain-specific semantics for specific difference patterns. The method extends the DSL automatically to allow for the description of modifications and adapts its graphical concrete syntax to visualize the differences. It moreover enables the creation of semantic differencing rules for identifying recurrent domain-specific difference patterns. Because these rules may conflict with one another, we provide algorithms for resolving conflicts and scheduling rules. We report on evaluations based on synthetic models and version histories of models provided by third parties to illustrate the applicability and effectiveness of our approach. We also outline an extension of DSMCompare to three-way differencing.