Domain-specific Multimodeling - Coordination Problem

Coordination Problem

The example illustrates some of the advantages of using multiple languages in development. There are, however, also difficulties associated with this kind of development. These difficulties stem from the observation that the more kinds of artifacts we introduce into our process, the more coordination between developer efforts is needed. We will refer to these difficulties as the Coordination Problem. The Coordination Problem has a conceptual and a technical aspect. Conceptually, the main problem is to understand the different languages and their interaction. To properly design and coordinate models in multiple languages, developers must have a sufficient understanding of how languages interact. Technically, the main problem is to enforce consistency. Tools must be provided to detect inconsistencies early, i.e., at modeling time, and assist developers in resolving these inconsistencies. In the following, we will examine these two aspects in greater detail.