Reusable Idioms and Patterns in Graph Transformation Languages

Abstract

Software engineering tools based on Graph Transformation techniques are becoming available, but their practical applicability is somewhat reduced by the lack of idioms and design patterns. Idioms and design patterns provide prototypical solutions for recurring design problems in software engineering, but their use can be easily extended into software development using graph transformation systems. In this paper we briefly present a simple graph transformation language: GReAT, and show how typical design problems that arise in the context of model transformations can be solved using its constructs. These solutions are similar to software design patterns, and intend to serve as the starting point for a more complete collection.