Meta Modelling

Meta Modelling is the main idea behind Incubus. It is not just a modeller: you can create new models with it. This topic has two basic goals: (1) well-define the concept, distinguishing it from similar topics and (2) introduce Meta Modelling to people who don't know it.

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Definition

As the name suggests, MetaModelling is literaly "modelling models". One of the Pillars of Incubus is Flexibility, so if you want to model something that is not covered by Incubus Standard Models?, you can create your own models. That's why you should model a model, or, in other words, define a MetaModel?.

Basic Elements

...(to be written)

Disambiguation

It's likely that you have already heard about Meta Modelling, maybe not with the same name. It should not be a new idea. That is the reason it is so important to explain how did Meta Modelling arrived to Incubus.

Previously, Incubus was meant to create simple Data Models? like ER Diagrams? or Dataflow Diagrams?. But, as you may notice, there are several kinds of models that Incubus could manipulate in future versions. Foreseeing this, I came with the idea of modeling models, to ease the work of creating Incubus itself.

I was not studying any theory about Meta Modelling when the idea came to my mind. It just "popped out" of my head. At that moment, everything became so clear to me: it was so simple, powerfull and very easy to do. Of course, a little moment after, I realized myself that it should not be an original idea, althoug I've never saw anything like this "in practice". Anyway, I also did not wanted to mix my "insight" with others theory. At least not at that moment. And so came Meta Modelling for Incubus.

Of course, with Incubus evolution, it is natural that it will embrace the concepts of all the Meta Modelling-like theories.

-- EricJardim - 09 Feb 2007