RE: [mdt-sbvr.dev] Draft of UML model for tooling metamodel

["Stan Hendryx" <stan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Dave,

Consider that each of the classes in org.eclipse.sbvr.xmi is a subclass of
"fact". An instance of one of these classes is a fact, either an existential
fact of the SBVR noun concept designated by the class name , for classes
that correspond to a SBVR noun concept (e.g. an instance of "placeholder" in
org.eclipse.sbvr.xmi means "there is a thing that is a placeholder"), or an
associative fact, for classes that correspond to a SBVR fact type. Each fact
model is thus an instantiation of org.eclipse.sbvr.xmi. The fact model gets
persisted as SBVR XMI XML. The only difference between the five compliance
points is what subset of org.eclipse.sbvr.xmi is allowed in an
instantiation. 

In org.eclipse.sbvr.xmi, consider using association generalization in the
uml model, mapping to class generalization in Ecore in org.eclipse.sbvr.xmi.
For example,"attributive namespace is within namespace" specializes "thing
is in set"; "fact model includes fact" specializes "thing is in set";
"concept has instance" specializes "meaning corresponds to thing", etc.

As for the plugin architecture, there should be one plugin for
org.eclipse.sbvr.xmi, that loads a file of any compliance point and saves
compliant XMI of whatever compliance point is specified for a save, and
other plugins, dependent on org.eclipse.sbvr.xmi, for tools that create or
consume fact models from org.eclipse.sbvr.xmi. I would hope every SBVR tool
would use the first plugin; that would be a major win to assure
interoperability of SBVR tools. An abundance of interoperable SBVR tools
that create, modify, browse, transform, or otherwise process the
org.eclipse.sbvr.xmi fact models could evolve. The API for
org.eclipse.sbvr.xmi should consider the needs of these main kinds of
applications for fact model access. Getting org.eclipse.sbvr.xmi done well
and soon is my main personal goal in supporting this project. Once it is in
place, tools can follow, ours included.

Stan