How to Create Your Own Product-Modeling Environment

How to Create Your OwnProduct Modeling Environment

Tim Geisler

webXcerpt Software GmbH

[email protected]

CWG 2011, Marco Island 2011-10-04

mailto:[email protected]

Product Modeling

Product Modeling

Specification Coding in SAP R/3● Materials● BOMs● Classes● Cstics● Procedures● Constraints● Selection Conditions● Interface Designs

Product Modeling Environment

Means for describing product model➔ Textual domain-specific language➔ Tailored to your needs

Tooling➔ Eclipse-based Integrated Development

Environment (IDE)➔ Functionality tailored to your needs

Domain-Specific Languages

Domain-Specific Languages

Domain-specific language (noun): a computer programming language of limited expressiveness focused on a particular domain.

The two main reasons why DSLs are popular:● Improving productivity for developers● Improving communication with domain experts

(Martin Fowler)

Customer Project @

Company-wide generic product structure

NSN VC frameworkIPC extensionscoding conventions

Standardizedproductdescriptions

Customer Project @



productdescriptions

Standardized Formalized

Customer Project @



productdescriptions

Standardized Formalized

Tooling: Eclipse-based IDEsConfigModeler

VClipse

Domain Specific LanguagesCML + CMLUI + CMLT

VCML

ConfigModeler and Vclipse:Two DSLs with Eclipse-based IDE

RFC

Editor/IDE

Editor/IDE

ConfigModeler

VClipse

CML

VCML

Code Generation

CML: Customer's Concepts

product structure

grouping for order structure

logical materials

domains

complex expressions

equations

counting

VCML: SAP's Concepts

Language elements for describing VC objects:

● cstic● class● dependency net● …

Embedded SAP languages for dependencies

Code Generation: CML to VCML

Generate VC objects and dependencies● correct ordering of procedures

Use NSN VC framework● use generic variant functions● use generic cstics● use generic procedures and dependency nets● respect NSN naming conventions

Code generation on the fly● using Eclipse builder infrastructure

Interfacing SAP

Two mechanisms for interfacing SAP● ALE via IDocs (Product Data Replication)● create/change/read/delete objects via RFC

Reading objects via RFC● Model extraction from SAP to VCML

No extraction of CML from SAP possible!

IDE: Tooling for Modelers


Syntax checking

Cross references

Semantic checking


Outline

Templates Content AssistFolding

Renamerefactoring

Companion Languages

Companion Language I: CMLUINSN UI Enhancement Framework

Framework for describing

● widgets (headings, checkboxes, notes, …) and

● layout (columns, font, color, spacing)

Old: Maintenance Dialogs New: DSL + IDE Tooling

Companion Language II: CMLTAutomated Model Testing

Test tool at NSN:Fysbee's ConfigScan

DSL for describing test cases usingCML concepts

Companion Language II: CMLTTest-Case Execution

● Remote call of ConfigScan from ConfigModeler

● Display of test results in separate view

● Navigation to corresponding test statement in test-case language

Companion Language II: CMLTSupport for Test-Case Maintenance

● Test-coverage analysis (static)Is there a test case for each material, cstic, ...?

● Fully integrated languages CML / CMLT

● Robustness: generation of ConfigScan code● Import of test cases from IPC export files

Use of ConfigModeler @

More than 100 product models are currently in development using ConfigModeler.

(prototypes not included)

About 50% of these product models are already on production system.

About 50% of all product models on production system have been built with ConfigModeler.

(size and complexity not taken into account)

Showtime

Product “hiT 7030”

Multiplexes STM-1/STM-4 to 2M, 34/45M, STM-1, STM4

1 uplink board with 2 SFP module slots

3 downlink boards with 0-6 SFP module slots

Life Demo: Modeling with DSLs

Demo: Deployment to SAP

● Using PDR

Technology in Use

Open source technology based on Java● Eclipse: IDE platform● Xtext:

● domain-specific language framework● ANTLR-based parser● IDE generated automatically● adaptable via dependency injection (Google Guice)

● EMF: Eclipse Modeling Framework

SAP JCo / IDocs library

VClipse is Free

VClipse.org: Open Source

Use, adapt, integrate, contribute!

Use Cases for VClipse

Mass upload (of parts) of configuration

Model comparison– Use textual or EMF diff tools to compare models

Model versioning– use version control system for textual models

Model refactoring– rename objects, move cstics

Model validation– check own naming conventions– check for syntactic and semantic errors

How to Create Your OwnProduct Modeling Environment?

Product Modeling Environment @ NSN

RFC

Editor/IDE

Editor/IDE

ConfigModeler

VClipse

CML

VCML

Code Generation

My Own Product-Modeling Environment

RFC

Editor/IDE

Editor/IDE

my ConfigModeler

VClipse

myCML

VCML

my Code Generation

Building Blocks

Metamodel

Editor/IDE

my ConfigModeler

myCML

my Code Generation

Scoping + ValidationTarget Architecture

Grammar

Import fromLegacy Configurators

or Specifications Export / Reports Vclipse adaptions

Code Generation

IDE adaptions

Defining yourModeling-Language Grammar

● using the Xtext grammar language

● from this grammar, the following is derived:● metamodel (Ecore + Java classes)● parser● editor with syntax highlighting, content assist,

outline, folding, ...

Defining yourModeling-Language Metamodel

Represents all product models in the domain(like a schema)● EMF Ecore Meta Model● Generated from grammar or defined separately● Source of transformation

Scoping + ValidationLanguage Aspects not Represented in Grammar Scoping: visibility of objects for cross-references

Validation: checks for complex model properties

Defining yourTarget Architecture

Clear: SAP Variant ConfigurationOpen aspects:

● Naming conventions● Which objects should be modeled?● Constraints / conditions on values?● BOM calculation● Use of variant tables● Use of certain variant functions● …

Might be very company-specific!

Code Generation

Task: map myCML models (instances of your metamodel) to VCML models● Respect your target architecture● Various means to implement:

● Java● EMF model transformation languages

IDE Adaptions● Xtext-based editors are highly configurable

through dependency injection using Google Guice

● Nearly each part of system can be adapted and replaced.

Import from Legacy Configurators● Task: map models of your legacy configurator to

xCML models● Various means to implement, depending on

your legacy configurator:● Extension of legacy transformator● XML transformation using e.g. XSLT● Implement DSL for legacy configurator

use model 2 model transformation to transform to xCML

● ...

Export / Reports● Use EMF model to text transformation language ●

Features for Free● Due to the use of Eclipse as platform,

you get a lot of features for free:● Integration of all modern version control systems

(CVS, Subversion, Git, …)● Textual file comparison● Task-focused work using Mylyn● Integration of bug-tracking systems● Query / replace with regular expressions● ...

Conclusion

Conclusion

Textual Domain-Specfic Languages● suitable for product modeling● modern tooling easy to create with Eclipse/Xtext

VClipse● interface to SAP system when using DSLs ● open-source tool useful for various modeling tasks

How to create your own product-modeling environment● identified several building blocks

Thanks to ...

● various persons at Nokia Siemens Networks● Peter Muthsam & Michael Wilhelm (SAP VC)● Fysbee team for ConfigScan support● Daniel Naus (CWG Sandbox)● various persons at itemis (Xtext)● webXcerpt team

How could product modeling with textual DSLslook like for your domain and your company?

How to Create Your Own Product-Modeling Environment

Software

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