Research and experimentation in software architectures over the past decade have yielded a plethora of software architecture description languages (ADLs). Continuing innovation indicates that it is reasonable to expect more new ADLs, or at least ADL features. This research process is impeded by the difficulty and cost associated with developing new notations. An architect in need of a unique set of modeling features must either develop a new architecture description language from scratch or undertake the daunting task of modifying an existing language. In either case, it is unavoidable that a significant effort will be expended in building or adapting tools to support the language. To remedy this situation, we have developed an infrastructure for the rapid development of new architecture description languages. Key aspects of the infrastructure are its XML-based modular extension mechanism, its base set of reusable and customizable architectural modeling constructs, and its equally important set of flexible support tools. This paper introduces the infrastructure and demonstrates its value in the context of several real-world applications.

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We survey work on statically type checking XML transformations, covering a wide range of notations and ambitions. The concept of type may vary from idealizations of DTD to full-blown XML Schema or even more expressive formalisms. The notion of transformation may vary from clean and simple transductions to domain-specific languages or integration of XML in general-purpose programming languages. Type annotations can be either explicit or implicit, and type checking ranges from exact decidability to pragmatic approximations. We characterize

Domain-specific modeling languages amortize the cost of the development of a language over all the software products they can be used for. This paper describes an infrastructure for developing DSMLs and using them in a systematic manner. The infrastructure consists of a modeling language (UML class diagrams), a modeling tool, a code generator, and a number of generic libraries that provide support for object performance in several forms.

The application of XML, an upcoming storage and communication format, requires an appropriate organisational system, if a certain quantity of document entities is exceeded. Generally, this can be best accomplished by employing a database system, which is targeted towards this technology, namely an XML Database.