Modeling Project as a DSL Toolkit - Eclipse Modeling Project: A Domain-Specific Language Toolkit - page 20

the appropriate natures and builders. The structure provided by the DSL project
is not mandatory, but it nicely organizes artifacts into model, diagram, template,
and workflow folders.
Development of the domain model (the DSL abstract syntax) follows and is
stored in its EMF .ecore and .genmodel files. With the domain model available,
the Toolsmith can then create the collection of models used to define a diagram
using GMF, develop transformation definitions using Query/View/Transformation
(QVT) or ATL, develop code (text) generation templates using Xpand or Java
Emitter Templates (JET), and create the artifacts required for generation of a text
editor.
After they are created, the corresponding generator models are used to pro-
duce plug-ins for deployment. Generally, it is not recommended that the DSL
project itself be the target of code generation because doing so would complicate
cleanup and regeneration. The deployment artifacts should also provide actions
to invoke templates and transformations. Standard Eclipse packaging of plug-ins
as features or product definitions can be used to deploy the DSL tooling to a
practitioner's workbench.
2.1 Installation
Before you can get started using the Modeling project as a DSL Toolkit, you
must install it and configure the sample projects. This topic is based on the
Ganymede release of Eclipse (version 3.4), although some references are made to
features found in the Galileo release, due out in June 2009. The easiest way to
get started is to download the DSL Toolkit from the Amalgamation project at
www.eclipse.org/modeling/amalgam/. Alternatively, you can begin with the
Modeling package download from the Eclipse Packaging Project (EPP), available
at www.eclipse.org/epp/ganymede.php. EPP provides a number of preconfigured
Eclipse downloads targeted at Java, Java EE, C/C++, Plug-in Development,
Reporting, and Modeling. The modeling package is defined and maintained by
the Amalgamation and is configured with all of the Eclipse simultaneous release
projects from Modeling, although it doesn't include everything you need to com-
plete the samples in this topic. Therefore, I recommend using the tailor-made
Amalgam DSL Toolkit download. This topic identifies additional dependencies
for installation as required.
2.2 The Sample Projects
You can install the sample projects from the Welcome screen of the DSL Toolkit
package or by using the standard example wizard in the New dialog. If the
Amalgam DSL Toolkit is not used, you can get the sample projects from CVS at