Introduction

We are recently witnessing an increasing movement in the Software Engineering community towards the use of models for developing software systems. Shifting intellectual property and business logic from source code into models, allows organizations to focus on the important aspects of their systems, which have traditionally been blurred by the usage of standard programming languages and underlying technologies.

Model engineering considers models as first-class entities enabling new possibilities for creating, analyzing, and manipulating systems through various types of tools and languages. Each model usually addresses one concern, and the transformations between models provide a chain that enables the automated implementation of a system from its corresponding models. Model transformation definition, implementation and execution become then critical issues of this process. Furthermore, model transformations are also models, and therefore an integral part of this model-based approach.

Model transformations need specialized support in several aspects in order to realize their full potential for system modelers, transformation developers, and tool vendors. This goes to the very heart of the OMG's Model Driven Architecture (MDA) initiative, and is an open problem that is being partly addressed by current MOF QVT (Query/View/Transformation) proposals. However, the problem goes beyond having languages to represent model transformations, they also need to be stored in repositories where they can be discovered and reused, they need to be integrated into software development methodologies that make full use of them, need to count on supporting tools and environments, and so forth.

Scope

This track aims at bringing together researchers and practitioners to share experiences in using model transformations and explore the practical problems of existing languages, tools, and environments for transforming models. The track will address questions about the nature and features of model transformations and model merging, requirements of languages for expressing them, measuring the quality and extra-functional requirements of model transformations (e.g., scalability, robustness, adaptability, reusability, etc.), definition of development methodologies that allow exploiting all their potential benefits, etc.

The track will be held between April 23 and April 27, 2006.

Topics of interest

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Model-driven development methodologies, approaches, and languages

• Scalability and reuse of model transformations

• Metamodeling

• Domain-specific and concern-oriented modelling

• Semantics and formal aspects of model transformations

• Model Driven Architecture (MDA) and other model-driven approaches

• Model-driven code generation

• Model query languages

• Model and metamodel transformations

• Model merging, weaving and composition

• Maintenance, evolution and management of model transformations

• Tools and environments for model-driven development

• Generative techniques

• Case studies and industrial experiences

Submission Guidelines

Papers should represent original and previously unpublished ideas that are currently not under review in any conference or journal. Both basic and applied research papers are solicited. Papers describing novel applications and making significant research contributions are also of interest. Simultaneous submission to multiple SAC 2006 tracks is not allowed.

Submissions should be up to 8 pages. However, if the paper exceeds 5 pages, the authors must pay for each additional page. Papers should use ACM's two column format, with approximately 4.000 words, and include the author’s name, affiliation and contact details. Papers should be submitted to the Track Chairs before September 3, 2005, using the SAC 2006 electronic submission system.

Should you require any extension for submitting your paper after September 3, please submit your abstract and let the track organizers know explicitly that you require a deadline extension.

Authors will be notified of acceptance by October 15, 2005. At least one author of accepted papers should register and participate in the Track. The conference proceedings will be published by ACM and will also be available online through ACM's Digital Library.Papers   should   represent   original   and   previously unpublished ideas that are currently not under review in any conference or  journal.  Both  basic  and  applied  research papers  are  solicited. Papers describing novel applications and making significant research contributions  are  also  of interest.

Final Version

Each submitted paper will undergo a formal peer review process.  The conference proceedings will be published by ACM. Hence,  the camera-ready version of all accepted  papers  should be prepared using the ACM two-column format, for inclusion in the  symposium  proceedings. The maximum number  of pages allowed for the final papers is five (5), with the option, at additional expense, to add three (3) more pages.

Poster Publication of Selected Papers

A set of selected papers, from those not accepted as full papers at the Track, will be accepted as poster papers and will be published as extended 2-page abstracts in the symposium proceedings.

Journal Special Issue

The International Journal on Software and Systems Modeling (SoSyM) has agreed to consider an special issue with a selection of the best papers from this track, that will be invited for expansion and revision for possible publication.

Important dates

• Abstract/Paper submission: September 3, 2005.

• Notification to authors:  October 15, 2005.

• Camera-ready copies of accepted papers: November 5, 2005.

• Track dates: April 23-27, 2006.

Track Chairs

• Jean Bézivin,  University of Nantes (France)

• Alfonso Pierantonio,  University of L'Aquila (Italy)

• Antonio Vallecillo,  University of Málaga (Spain)

Program Committee

• Andy Schürr, Technische Universität Darmstadt (Germany)

• Anneke Kleppe, Klasse Objecten (The Netherlands)

• Antonio Estevez, Open Canarias SL (Spain)

• Bernard Rumpe, Technische Universität Braunschweig (Germany)

• Bran Selic, IBM Rational Software (Canada)

• Dániel Varró, University of Budapest (Hungary)

• Dave Akehurst, University of Kent (United Kingdom)

• Eelco Visser, Universiteit Utrecht (The Netherlands)

• Gabor Karsai, Vanderbilt University (USA)

• Gabriele Taentzer, Technische Universität Berlin (Germany)

• Gunter Kniesel, University of Bonn (Germany)

• Ivan Porres, Åbo Akademi (Finland)

• Jeff Gray, University of Alabama at Birmingham (USA)

• Jonathan Sprinkle, University of California Berkeley (USA)

• Jos Warmer Klasse Objecten (The Netherlands)

• Laurence Tratt, King’s College London (United Kingdom)

• Marie-Noelle Terrasse, University of Bourgogne (France)

• Martin Gogolla, University of Bremen (Germany)

• Nora Koch, LM Universität München (Germany)

• Paola Inverardi, University of L’Aquila (Italy)

• Reiko Heckel, University of Leicester (United Kingdom)

• Sara Comai, Politecnico di Milano (Italy)

• Steven Witkop, Electronic Data Systems (USA)

• Vicente Pelechano, Universidad Politécnica de Valencia (Spain)

• Wolfgang Emmerich, University College London (United Kingdom)