MetaEdit+ is an environment for creating and using Domain-Specific Modeling languages.

Research History

The research behind the genesis of MetaEdit+ was carried out at the University of Jyväskylä, as part of the MetaPHOR project. A metamodeling and modeling tool, MetaEdit, had been created by the earlier SYTI project in the late 1980s and early 1990s, in co-operation with a company, MetaCase. Both MetaEdit and MetaEdit+ were described in a large number of publications from the MetaPHOR research group (including, ).

Tool History

MetaEdit allowed graphical metamodeling using Object-Property-Role-Relationship (OPRR) data model, definition of the DSM language notation with a graphical symbol editor, and the definition of code generators using a Domain-Specific Language. These three elements together formed a metamodel file, which configured MetaEdit to support that modeling language. The original MetaEdit was limited to supporting one modeling language at a time, one user at a time, and one representational paradigm - graphical diagrams. MetaEdit+ was designed to extend this to multiple integrated modeling languages, multiple simultaneous users, and multiple representational paradigms - diagrams, matrices and tables.

Work flow

There are two main versions of MetaEdit+: Normally, MetaEdit+ Workbench is used by a few key developers to design a domain-specific modeling language for their project. Then, this modeling language is used to develop final products using MetaEdit+ Modeler.