Data mapping and model transformation

Data mapping and model transformation tools

I have been interested in data mapping techniques and tools for many years. This includes support for:

  • mapping modelling notations from one language to another

  • mapping models of a domain from one language/format to another

  • mapping one XML (or other) format to another

  • mapping EDI and other protocol message formats

  • mapping meta-models

  • supporting bi-directional consistency management between complex models

  • repository integration e.g. clinical data repositories and enterprise system databases

  • applying these approaches to various domains - software engineering, business processes, enterprise system integration, eHealth, construction IT, etc

  • supporting modelling and generation of complex data mappings

  • evaluation of data mapping tools and technologies

Much of this work was done with Orion Health (eHealth systems integration) and XSOL (business and enterprise systems integration).

I am hoping to do more work in this area around supporting model transformation and code generation for model-driven engineering domains, bi-directional consistency management, and programming by example support for specifying complex mappings.

Representative funding

  • ARC Discovery - 2017-19 - J Grundy, M Abdelrazek, Q He, J Hosking, $334,000 for 3 years, Domain-specific visual languages for big data analytics applications

  • FRST RFI 2007 - 2007-2012 - J Grundy, J Hosking, RJ Noble, E Tempero, E Mendes, N Churcher, S MacDonnell, J Dietrich, $3,800,000 for 4.75 years, Software Process and Product Improvement

  • FRST RFI 2002 - 2002 - 2005 - J Grundy, J Hosking, R Amor, E Mendes, E Tempero, RJ Noble, R Biddle, $2,300,000 for 5 years, Domain-specific software tools

  • FRST NERF 2002 - 2002-2003 - J Blackham, J Grundy, J Hosking, $842,000 for 2 years, A Real-time Dataset for Enterprise Application Integration

  • FRST NERF 1999 - 1999-2001 - J Blackham, $1,250,000 for 2.5 years, Database Aggregation for E-Commerce

  • FRST TBG 1999 - 1999-2000 - Orion Health Ltd - Data integration for eHealth

Representative papers and projects

Range of exemplar approaces to visual data mapping in our work:

  • Grundy, J.C, Hosking, J.G., Amor, R., Mugridge, W.B., Li, M. Domain-specific visual languages for specifying and generating data mapping system, Journal of Visual Languages and Computing, vol. 15, no. 3-4, June-August 2004, Elsevier, pp 243-263 PDF

By-Example data mapping

  • Avazpour, I., Grundy, J.C., Using Concrete Visual Notations as First Class Citizens for Model Transformation Specification, 2013 IEEE Symposium on Visual Languages and Human-Centric Computing, San Jose, CA, USA, Sept 15-19 2013, IEEE CPS. PDF

  • Avazpour, I. and Grundy, J.C. CONVErT: A Framework for Complex Model Visualisation and Transformation, 2012 IEEE International Symposium on Visual Languages and Human-Centric Computing, Innsbruck, Austria, Sept 30-Oct 4 2012, IEEE CS Pres PDF

  • Li, Y., Grundy, J.C., Amor, R. and Hosking, J.G. A data mapping specification environment using a concrete business form-based metaphor, In Proceedings of the 2002 International Conference on Human-Centric Computing, IEEE CS Press. PDF

Orion data mapper - prototype of commercial Raphsody health data mapping toolset.

  • Grundy, J.C., Mugridge, W.B., Hosking, J.G. and Kendal, P. Generating EDI Message Translations from Visual Specifications, In Proceedings of the 16th International Conference on Automated Software Engineering, San Diego, 26-29 Nov 2001, IEEE CS Press, pp. 35-42 PDF

XSOL data mapper - prototype of virtual database aggregation system data transformation toolset.

  • Li, Y., Grundy, J.C., Amor, R. and Hosking, J.G. A data mapping specification environment using a concrete business form-based metaphor, In Proceedings of the 2002 International Conference on Human-Centric Computing, IEEE CS Press. PDF

Notation data mapping - to support modelling tool integration at the notation level.

  • Stoeckle, H., Grundy, J.C. and Hosking, J.G. A Framework for Visual Notation Exchange, Journal of Visual Languages and Computing, Volume 16, Issue 3 , June 2005, Elsevier, pp.187-212. PDF

  • Stoeckle, H., Grundy, J.C. and Hosking, J.G. Approaches to Supporting Software Visual Notation Exchange, In Proceedings of the 2003 IEEE Conference on Human-Centric Computing, Auckland, New Zealand, October 2003, IEEE CS Press. PDF

Notation mapping - to support multiple design notation modelling and method engineering

  • Grundy, J.C., Hosking, J.G., Fenwick, S., Mugridge, W.B., Connecting the pieces, Chapter 11 in Visual Object-oriented Programming, M. Burnett, A. Goldberg, T. Lewis Eds, Manning/Prentice-Hall, 1995.PDF

  • Venable, J.R., Grundy, J.C., Integrating and Supporting Entity Relationship and Object Role Models, in Proceedings of the 14th OO/ER Conference (OO-ER'95), Brisbane, December 1995, Lecture Notes in Computer Science 1021, Springer-Verlag, 318-328. PDF

  • Grundy, J.C., Venable, J. Providing Integrated Support for Multiple Development Notations, in Proceedings of the 7th Conference on Advanced Information Systems Engineering (CAiSE'95), Finland, June 1995, Lecture Notes in Computer Science 932, Springer-Verlag, pp. 255-268. PDF

  • Grundy, J.C., and Venable, J.R. Towards an integrated environment for Method Engineering, In Proceedings of Method Engineering '96: IFIP WG 8.1/8.2 Working Conference on Principles of Method Construction and Tool Support, Atlanta, Augst 26-28, 1996, McGraw-Hill. PDF

Intelligent support for data mapping - using heuristics to aid data mapper for very large data transformation problems:

  • Bossung, S., Stoeckle, H., Grundy, J.C., Amor, R. and Hosking, J.G. Automated Data Mapping Specification via Schema Heuristics and User Interaction, In Proceedings of the 2004 IEEE International Conference on Automated Software Engineering, Linz, Austria, September 20-24, IEEE CS Press, pp. 208-217. PDF

Data mapping for tool integration, code generation in Marama meta-tools:

  • Huh, J., Grundy, J.C., Hosking, J.G., Li, N., Amor, R., Integrated data mapping for a software meta-tool, In Proceedings of the 2009 Australian Software Engineering Conference, Gold Coast, Australia, April 2009, IEEE CS Press PDF