Transforming models into text using JET transformations and exemplars

You can create template-based model-to-text transformations that enable you to define a transformation based on one or more exemplar projects. Exemplar projects are established solutions to common development problems. The Eclipse Modeling Framework Technology (EMFT) Java Emitter Templates (JET) transformations that you create can be invoked directly by users, consumed by other Java code, or combined with other model-to-text transformations to generate more complex transformations. You can create JET transformations that use templates to automate repetitive activities to provide more consistent solutions.

Before you begin

Exemplar projects are Eclipse projects that are examples of the application files and folders that you want a model-to-text transformation to generate. You can define a transformation input schema that describes the variable elements of the exemplar and then associate code generation actions with these schema elements. The files that the transformation creates use JET templates that are based on the exemplar artifacts. You complete the JET transformation authoring process by modifying these templates to include content that is derived from the transformation input.

When you run a JET transformation, it generates a solution similar to the exemplar artifacts, but the solution is customized to meet the requirements that are specified in the transformation input. You can implement JET transformations to automate the generation of the following types of applications:
  • Deployment scripts that migrate applications from development environments to test and production environments
  • Infrastructure code, for example, entity and session beans, session facades, and data transfer objects for EJB applications that are based on best practices
  • Java code that implements model-to-model transformations
By automating the generation of these types of applications, you can reduce the number of errors in the application, produce application code more quickly, and ensure adherence to project or organizational standards.

A JET newsgroup is available from the Eclipse Web site. You can subscribe to the newsgroup by following the link to the Eclipse Web site in the Related information section below, and searching for the eclipse.modeling.m2t newsgroup. See the Related information section for links to additional JET content.


Feedback