Model-driven generative development of measurement software

Metrics offer a practical approach to evaluate properties of domain-specific models. However, it is costly to develop and maintain measurement software for each domain-specific modeling language. In this paper, we present a model-driven and generative approach to measuring models. The approach is completely domain-independent and operationalized through a prototype that synthesizes a measurement infrastructure for a domain-specific modeling language. This model-driven measurement approach is model-driven from two viewpoints: (1) it measures models of a domain-specific modeling language; (2) it uses models as unique and consistent metric specifications, with respect to a metric specification metamodel which captures all the necessary concepts for model-driven specifications of metrics. The benefit from applying the approach is evaluated by four case studies. They indicate that this approach significantly eases the measurement activities of model-driven development processes.