Visual debugging support for graph rewriting-based model transformations

Abstract

Graph rewriting-based model transformation is an essential tool with a strong mathematical background used to process graph-based models. The most recent modeling tools tend to support the definition of rewriting rule based transformations in a visual or textual way. However, only a few of these support the continuous animation of the modifications performed on the models, which makes the traceability and the debugging of transformations more challenging. This paper presents the visual model transformation debugger realized in the Visual Modeling and Transformation System. The solution facilitates the step-by-step execution of model transformations, the visualization of the overall state of the transformation and also supports individual matches. Furthermore, it provides the possibility to influence the behavior of the transformation at runtime. The realized features are illustrated in a case study from the MATLAB Simulink domain.