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Software Process Engineering Metamodel (SPEM)
As mentioned, the Eclipse Process Framework supports Software Process
Engineering Metamodel (SPEM) [4]. Although SPEM is mentioned in the list of
MDA specifications, no real requirement specifies its use in the application of
MDA. Within Eclipse, currently no connection exists between EPF and the
Modeling project, aside from the fact that the SPEM metamodel is implemented
using EMF.
To date, very little formal communication has taken place between the OMG and
the leadership of the Eclipse Modeling Project regarding a working relationship.
Lately, the most promising discussions have been with respect to a series of sym-
posia, to be held at EclipseCon [35] and during OMG technical meetings. The
focus of these events will be to discuss individual specification implementations
and ways the two organizations can strive for more constructive cooperation.
The current situation raises a number of questions about the nature of the
relationship, which hopefully these meetings can address. The relationship could
remain informal, with no explicit commitment or expectation that implemen-
tations found in the Modeling project must represent so-called “reference imple-
mentations” of OMG standards, as described in OMG Specification and
Products [3].
In the past, specifications such as UML have suffered from interoperability
issues among vendors who had different interpretations or implementation goals.
The introduction of XMI, well-defined compliance levels, DI specification, and
so on were meant to improve the situation but have largely failed to deliver and
now compound the problem. Developing a reference implementation in parallel
with the specification can identify ambiguities and defects earlier and can serve
the larger community by delivering a platform upon which to implement com-
mercial products.
That said, the UML2 implementation at Eclipse is the de facto reference
implementation for the UML2 specification, and its development exemplifies the
model we would like to achieve with the OMG for all implemented standards
within Eclipse. Only through communication and feedback between imple-
menters and specification authors can our respective communities be best served.
Membership
Currently, the Eclipse Foundation is a member of the OMG, and the OMG is a
member of the Eclipse Foundation. This is a start, but it raises the question of
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