Topic Maps Middleware. Model-driven Development of combinable domain-specific Topic Maps Components (Diplomarbeit)

In this thesis, the outdated Topic Maps API
TMAPI 1.0 is adapted to the TMDM. It is restructured and extended with the goal
of improved usability. This work formalizes the TMDM using a domain specific
language. Based on this formalization, components of Topic Maps engines are
generated using generators. The DSL, its implementation and the generators are
introduced here.

Since its inception, the Topic Maps Data Model (TMDM) is the foundation for the
development of Topic Maps engines. A Topic Maps engine is a program library that
enables to develop Topic Maps based applications using an application
programming interface (API). In this thesis, the outdated Topic Maps API
TMAPI 1.0 is adapted to the TMDM. It is restructured and extended with the goal
of improved usability. This work formalizes the TMDM using a domain specific
language. Based on this formalization, components of Topic Maps engines are
generated using generators. The DSL, its implementation and the generators are
introduced here.

Developed as part of this work, Ruby Topic Maps (RTM) is a Topic Maps
engine for the Ruby programming language that implements the the improved Topic
Maps API. Additionally, within the API of RTM, a concept for referencing Topics
and specialized access and query methods are designed and implemented. It is
shown that, thanks to these extensions, less and easier to understand source
code is needed to develop the same functionality compared to TMAPI 1.0.

The freedom of the TMDM results in complexity that counteracts the productivity
of development of domain applications. Developed as part of this work, the
library Active Topic Maps enables the definition of domain classes using
the Active Topic Maps Modelling Language (ActiveTMML). With ActiveTMML,
combinable domain classes are specified that constitute a layer between the
application above and the Topic Maps engine below. For this layer, the name
Topic Maps middleware is introduced.