DyWA Integrated Modeling Environment

DIME (DyWA Integrated Modeling Environment) is a modeling solution developed with Cinco providing a family of graphical DSLs for the development of complex web applications. Their different aspects, like persistent entities (i.e., a data model), data retrieval (i.e., search queries), business logic in form of various types of process models, the structure of the user interface, and dynamic access control are all modeled on a high level of abstraction. These models do not describe how an application is realized, instead they describe what application is needed. The choice of platform, programming language, and frameworks is moved to the corresponding (full) code generator and may be changed without touching the models.

The DIME approach is a consequent refinement of the realization of jABC4 for process modeling and DyWA for data modeling empowering prototype-driven application development. In the spirit of its predecessors DIME follows OTA (One Thing Approach) and XMDD (Extreme Model-Driven Design) and puts the application expert (a potential non-programmer) in the center of the development process. Hence, the different aspects of an application are described with the most adequate form of model, respectively. All these models are interdependently connected shaping “one thing” in a very formal yet easy to understand and use manner to the extend that it can be one-click-generated to a running product. DIME can be used to realize a wide range of web applications. We are just starting to explore its potential. Central design goals on this journey are simplicity, agility, and quality assurance.