An institution theory of formal meta-modelling in graphically extended BNF  

作　　者：Hong ZHU 

机构地区：[1]Department of Computing and Communication Technologies, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK

出　　处：《Frontiers of Computer Science》2012年第1期40-56,共17页中国计算机科学前沿（英文版）

摘　　要：Meta-modelling plays an important role in model driven software development. In this paper, a graphic exten- sion of BNF （GEBNF） is proposed to define the abstract syn- tax of graphic modelling languages. From a GEBNF syntax definition, a formal predicate logic language can be induced so that meta-modelling can be performed formally by spec- ifying a predicate on the domain of syntactically valid mod- els. In this paper, we investigate the theoretical foundation of this meta-modelling approach. We formally define the se- mantics of GEBNF and its induced predicate logic languages, then apply Goguen and Burstall＇s institution theory to prove that they form a sound and valid formal specification lan- guage for meta-modelling.Meta-modelling plays an important role in model driven software development. In this paper, a graphic exten- sion of BNF （GEBNF） is proposed to define the abstract syn- tax of graphic modelling languages. From a GEBNF syntax definition, a formal predicate logic language can be induced so that meta-modelling can be performed formally by spec- ifying a predicate on the domain of syntactically valid mod- els. In this paper, we investigate the theoretical foundation of this meta-modelling approach. We formally define the se- mantics of GEBNF and its induced predicate logic languages, then apply Goguen and Burstall＇s institution theory to prove that they form a sound and valid formal specification lan- guage for meta-modelling.

关 键 词：META-MODELLING modelling languages abstractsyntax semantics graphic extension of BNF （GEBNF） for-mal logic INSTITUTION 

分 类 号：TP311.11[自动化与计算机技术—计算机软件与理论] S758.6[自动化与计算机技术—计算机科学与技术]