Description Yue Ma 2014-01-14 04:39:50 EST

=Problem description=
Definition of domain specific languages by means of meta models has become common practice in standardization organizations such as AUTOSAR, EAST-ADL and ReqIF. Each organization has defined its own meta modeling rules and specifications for mapping the meta model to XML Schema. Additionally, it often takes a pretty long time before tool vendors are able to provide tools that support the new standard.

In order to enable interoperability between systems and organization, it is required to agree on a common metamodel and a common representation that is used for exchange. Sphinx provides such a new contribution that describes a highly configurable framework that allows deriving computer readable XSD schema files from their annotated metamodel which is mapped by the XML persistence mapping rules.

=Proposed solution=
Sphinx defines the XML persistence mapping rules that map between models and XSD schema that covers many existing XML mappings such as OMG XMI 1.x and 2.x as well as OMG ReaIF and AUTOSAR. Using such rules, a new XML XSD schema can be generated automatically whenever the metamodel is updated.

Tools that generate XSD schema according to the XML persistence mappings are provided: 
- Ecore model is mapped to fully annotated XML persistence mapping model. 
- Ecore metamodel with XML persistence mapping annotations is mapped to the XML schema by means of the XML persistence mapping rules. 

The following plugins are provided:

* org.eclipse.sphinx.emf.serialization.generators
	generators for Ecore with XML persistence mapping annotations
        generators for XSD schema

* org.eclipse.sphinx.emf.serialization.generators.ui
	UI handlers to generate Ecore with XML persistence mapping annotations and XSD schema