Transforming models

Transformations enable you to convert a set of source elements to a new set of target elements. You can transform UML models into code, transform code into UML models, and transform models into models at a different level of abstraction.

You can use model-to-code transformations to transition from designing to developing code by generating application code from the model. You can also run text-to-model transformations to generate conceptual models from code.

You can use model-to-text transformations to detect and resolve differences between the design of a model and its implementation. The transformation generates a new set of files and, in most cases, the source model remains unchanged.

Note: Capabilities such as visual editing and language transformations are only offered in IBM^® Rational^® Software Architect and IBM Rational Systems Developer.

You can use model-to-model transformations to transform a source model into a target model at a different level of abstraction. For example, to model service-oriented architecture (SOA) solutions, you can transform business analysis models that were created in WebSphere Business Modeler into UML service models.

For more information about generating designing SOA services, see the IBM developerWorks tutorial Design SOA services with Rational Software Architect, Part 4: Generate and test Web services from UML models. This tutorial discusses how to transform a UML model into Web Services Description Language (WSDL) and XML Schema Definition artifacts by using the UML-to-WSDL transformation, and then generate a Java implementation of the services.

For more information about the concepts and tools involved with modeling a SOA solution, see the IBM developerWorks tutorial, Model Service-Oriented Architectures with Rational Software Architect, Part 1: Case Study, Tools, and the Business View.