Richard F. Paige Knihy

The fifth edition of the European Conference on Model-Driven Architecture Foundations and Applications (ECMDA-FA 2009) aimed to advance knowledge and promote the industrialization of Model-Driven Architecture (MDA) and Model-Driven Engineering (MDE). MDA, initiated by the Object Management Group, supports platform-generic systems development, while MDE encompasses a broader range of model-centric approaches. Both methodologies emphasize the use of models for specifying, designing, analyzing, synthesizing, deploying, and evolving complex software systems. The conference covered various MDA topics, including model transformations, modeling language issues, behavior and time modeling, traceability, scalability, model-based embedded systems engineering, and the application of model-driven development in IT and networking systems. ECMDA-FA 2009 fostered dialogue among key European and international researchers and practitioners, aiming to enhance industry efficiency and produce more reliable software grounded in cutting-edge research. This conference served as a vital forum for exchanging information, discussing recent findings, and debating future developments in MDA and MDE, uniquely bridging the gap between leading academic researchers and industry professionals to create synergies.

Models are crucial for the development, analysis, and evolution of large-scale, complex IT systems. They capture various views and elements of a system rigorously, enabling automated tools to manage them effectively. In a comprehensive model-driven engineering (MDE) process, model transformations are vital, as they define operations on models and facilitate the automated development of systems from these models. While model transformations are integral to model-driven approaches and several transformation languages and tools are nearing maturity, significant challenges remain. The research community and industry must deepen their understanding of model transformations, including the key concepts, operators, semantics, and structuring properties like modularity, composability, and parametrization. The impact of model transformations on organizations and development processes—especially in ultra-large scale systems or distributed enterprises—remains unclear. These challenges, along with issues related to the specification, design, implementation, analysis, and experimentation with model transformations, are the focus of ongoing discussions. The Second International Conference on Model Transformation took place in late June 2009 in Zurich, Switzerland.

Six years ago, Laura McCaffrey's three-year-old daughter Melanie was kidnapped by Laura's estranged husband, Dylan, and seemingly vanished from the face of the earth. Now, Melanie has been found, a nine-year-old wandering the Los Angeles streets with blank eyes and a secret in her soul she will not or can not reveal. Dylan has been found too - or at least his mangled remains. Melanie is home again. But can she ever truly be safe - as the floodgates of terror open and the bloody torrent comes pouring through...?