Description Chris Holmes 2010-06-15 09:32:51 EDT

Debugging of models and general development may be achieved via the conventional approaches of (e.g.) validating a model against constraints. However, general investigation/prototyping can sometimes be achieved more easily via the running of EOL batch files, e.g. to exercise the model or test out some hypothesis. This can be a little heavyweight for general ad hoc querying. I used a metamodelling tool (XMF) similar in many ways to Epsilon that provided an interactive console window allowing the user to interact directly with models and found this to be very useful. Would it be possible to add a similar feature to Epsilon?

The following is an example of the use of the console in XMF:

If I had a parser written on the package A::B::C which returns an instance of class A::B::C::MyClass I would write something like:
XMF> myInst := A::B::C::myParser();
XMF> myInst.of();
==> <Class MyClass>

I could also navigate the object structure:
XMF> myInst.mySlot;
==> someValue

And use reflection:
XMF> myInst.of().allAttrubutes();
==> Set{<Attribute attName : attType>, ... >

XMF> myInst.of().allOperations();
==> Seq{<blah>}


Regards
Chris