Model-Centered Software and System Development

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Background

Modeling is the key ability of humans to understand and master their environment. Accordingly, humans use models as instruments for managing complexity in describing, developing, and analyzing. This applies to all scientific and engineering disciplines as well, and in particular for the development of software and data-intensive systems. Apart from using models as instruments for (requirements) specification and documentation, approaches like “Model-Driven Software Development” (MDSD), “Model-Driven Architecture” (MDA), “Model as a Program” (MaaP) produce software out of models, supported by metamodeling frameworks, transformers, generators, “programming machines” etc. In 2017, the Model-Centered Architecture paradigm was first introduced. It treats all processes of a digital system, as well as the data they process, as instances of models. These models in turn are instances of meta-models, described using an appropriate modeling language, and represented using a corresponding representation language. Consequently, all system interfaces are defined through models as well. In this way, any software and information system is seen as a construct of co-operating model handlers (model consumers and/or producers).

With this Research Topic in Frontiers in Computer Science, we want to compile and document the current state of modeling research and usage in the context of model-driven system development. The focus is on the definition and the use of conceptual modeling approaches, which work with general-purpose as well as with domain-specific concepts and languages. Our goal is to contribute to the establishment of a common understanding of the concept and essence of conceptual modeling in the realm of system realization, as well as to compile a set of tools for modeling activities. In this way, a broad basis for a theory and practice of conceptual modeling could be built up, which so far exists only in rudimentary form.

Conceptual models are characterized by the connection of three essential dimensions: the dimension of linguistic representations, the dimension of modeling concepts (usually defined by meta-model hierarchies), and the dimension of the semantic foundation of these concepts, for example by means of ontologies. We expect that the submitted research results can be classified into one or more of these dimensions.

In this article collection, we focus on conceptual modeling as an instrument for the realization of systems. The contributions can be both fundamentally oriented and application oriented. In any case, they should show how and for what purpose the proposed solutions can be used or implemented in practice.

We invite the submission of original work that has not yet been published or submitted for publication elsewhere and addresses one or more of the following topics:

- Model-Centered Approaches to System Development
- Model-Driven Engineering
- Model-Driven Architecture
- Model-Driven Software Development
- Model as a Program
- Domain-Specific Modeling and Design
- Metamodeling Frameworks
- Methodologies and tools

Visionary contributions or surveys that identify new trends are also welcome, as are surveys on the aforementioned topics and reports on industrial case studies. All papers are peer-reviewed by 2-3 peers and clearly must be journal quality.

Keywords: Conceptual Models, Model Driven Architecture, Model Driven Software Development, Model as a Program, Model-Based System Realization

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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