Runtime adaptation of architectural models: An approach for adapting user interfaces

Abstract

Traditional techniques of model-driven development usually concern with the production of non-executable models. These models are usually manipulated at design-time by means of fixed model transformations. However, in some situations, models need to be transformed at runtime. Moreover, the transformations handling these models could be provided with a dynamic behavior enabling the adaptation to the current execution context and requirements. In this vein, this paper defines a transformation pattern designed for flexible model transformation that can be dynamically composed by selecting the appropriate transformation rules from a rule repository, which is also represented by a model. The rules in the repository are updated at each step of adaptation to improve later rule selection. We chose the domain of user interfaces, specified as component-based architectural models, as our case study. © 2012 Springer-Verlag.