A Transformation-Based Metamodel Approach to the Definition of Syntax and Semantics of Diagrammatic Languages

The definition of visual languages, of their semantics, and of the interactions with them, can all be referred to a notion of transformation of multisets of resources. Moreover, the concrete syntax for a particular language can be obtained in a semi-automatic way, by declaring the conformity of the language to some family of languages, specified by a metamodel. In a similar way, the generation of the associated semantics can take advantage of the identification of the variety of the semantics being expressed. According to the associated metamodel, one can obtain an abstract view of the semantic roles that visual elements can play with respect to the process being described. We propose here an integrated framework and interactive environment, based on a collection of metamodels, in which to express both syntactical characterizations of diagrammatic sentences and their semantic interpretations.