Reference Models and MDGs

EA MDGs (“Model Driven Generation”) are the way that Sparx implement new modeling languages.

To do this, they follow the way that UML (Unified Modeling Language – the basis of most of what EA does) describes how to make new languages. It does this with a set of rules and structures, that describe what links of ‘thing’ a user can create using the new language, and how those things can be connected and drawn on diagrams.

Sparx EA has lots of free and paid-for MDGs, for different modeling languages, and some are built-in to the EA product.

The capabilities of EA MDGs and Model Expert Reference Models are different, although there is some overlap in their functions.

• Model Expert has lots of functions to help modelers
• The EA MDG focuses on implementing all the details of a modeling language

Comparing the features

Definition	EA MDG	Model Expert Reference Model
Types & stereotypes
EA fields	–
Tagged values of types & stereotypes
Strongly-typed tagged values		–
Connectors
Tagged values on connectors		–
Custom properties pages	–
Diagrams
Defined diagram types
Defined diagram contents	(indirectly, using toolboxes)
Diagram checking	–
Help for diagrams	–

See Also

Generating MDGs

For more information on MDGs, see the Sparx website: https://www.sparxsystems.com/products/mdg/index.html