Where is the Android Metamodel located?

Question

I would like to use Android for Model-Driven-Software-Development.

For this, I need to locate the Android Model in the SDK. I already searched a while for it, but were not able to find it. Has anyone an idea where it could be?

Is it possible, that it is the AndroidManifest.xml-File in the folder android-sdk-\platforms\android-x\android.jar? After unpacking this file, I am not able to open that file correctly on Windows XP, because a lot of characters have the wrong character set.

Or is it also possible, that it is only located in the source code?

Thanks in advance, Dominik

Answer 1

I would like to use Android for Model-Driven-Software-Development.

I am not aware of an MDA system for Android, possibly due to size constraints.

For this, I need to locate the Android Model in the SDK.

There is no "Android Model", any more than there is a "Linux Model" or "OS X Model" or "Symbian Model".

Answer 2

You may wish to have a look at ABSE (http://www.abse.info - Disclaimer: I am the project lead). ABSE is a generic model-driven development system that lets you create your own models for code generation, using your own code.

As you learn Android development, you can build and evolve your code generation models (called "Atoms" in ABSE). Like CommonsWare said, there is no "real" Android model, but you can architect your own through ABSE.

Then, you can develop Android apps by snapping your Atoms together, adding some custom, application-specific code, and getting an app out quickly.

AtomWeaver is an IDE that implements the ABSE approach, but is still in alpha and not publicly available. Just tell me if you want to be part of the alpha testing program (a contact is displayed at the bottom of ABSE's site pages).

Answer 3

Unfortunately, many systems do not offer a explicit metamodel and this must be deduced from either the API of the system or the storage format they use. All tools/systems have an internal schema they use to manipulate the data, it is just a matter of rediscovering it when it is not explicitly available

Answer 4

thanks for the answers.

CommonsWare: I just need the Model to do a Model-to-Model-Transformation, for this it would be very helpful to have it. :) But thanks for that hint.

Rui Curado: Thanks, I will have a look at it, but I recently worked with the Eclipse Modeling Tools and I am very happy with these tools. :)

Jordi Cabot: Thanks for that advice. So I will look which components I need and try to rebuild it.

I just hoped the Metamodel is somewhere in the Android package located, so I can skip the own creation of a model. But so I will start on Monday...

Thanks for all these three answers! :)

Answer 5

Yeah, got it.

It is the Android.jar lying beneath the platforms folder. I just searched a JAR2UML Converter and got my UML model in XMI :)

Answer 6

This is absolutely great Dominick! Thanks for posting your solution; I never would have found this. Just to elaborate a little for others interested in doing the same:

is where the installation instructions are for JAR2UML.

Install JAR2UML in Eclipse.

Then follow these instructions and import Android.jar found in the platforms folder in the Android SDK folder. The default options JAR2UML presents are perfect (ignore the options changes shown in the instructions.)

Next, you can double click the newly created UML file and you can browse it and use it from other EMF projects!