Next Generation (Meta)Modeling: Web- and Cloud-based Collaborative Tool Infrastructure

The paper presents WebGME, a novel, web- and cloud-based, collaborative, scalable (meta)modeling tool that supports the design of Domain Specific Modeling Languages (DSML) and the creation of cor- responding domain models. The unique prototypical inheritance, origi- nally introduced by GME, is extended in WebGME to fuse metamodel- ing with modeling. The tool also introduces novel ways to model cross- cutting concerns. These concepts are especially useful for multi-paradigm modeling. The main design drivers for WebGME have been scalability, extensibility and version control. The web-based architecture and the constraints the browser-based environment introduces provided signif- icant challenges that WebGME has overcome with balanced trade-os. The paper describes the architecture of WebGME, argues why the major design decisions were taken and presents the novel features of the tool.