FAQ

FAQ

What is Mia-Generation ?

Mia-Generation is a user-friendly environment to create architecture-compliant generator. Such a specific generator takes into account your architecture (technologies chosen and coding rule to integrate them) to rapidly produce a better code.

Does a generator that meet my needs already exist ?

Specific generator is the only possible answer to your need because your project/application is different from other ones.

If you whish to evaluate a generator, you must examine the following criteria :

1) Does it take into account my technical choices ?
How many generators force you to adopt such technical choice or another? In any case, you must ask yourself if the right technical choice now will be the right one tomorrow ? The generator must accommodate your needs not the opposite !

2) Does it generate with very high technical generation rate (70 to 80%).
If you generate 10 to 20%, the return on investment is not clear and you must modify the generated code by hand, loosing at the same time the benefits of generation. A good generator must produce around 70% of your application.

3) Is it easy to have your generator evolve ?
If your technical choices evolve, you generator must evolve accordingly. The adaptation must be easy and fast. To do that, you must have an easy-to use dedicated environment to always keep your generator effective.

4) Does it preserve hand-written code ?
Expect very specific cases, the generation rate is less than 100% because usually we don’t want to model everything in an application (eg business rules). Your generator must preserve hand-written code between two generations.

5) Is it independent from modeling tool ?
Again, no technical choice must be imposed in order to let you change your mind in the future if you need.

These fives criteria a fundamental for your generator. It is now known that a standard one can’t match all criteria. That’s why we designed Mia-Generation : to let you have the best generator for you because it’s a specific one !

f I change my mind on technologies used, is Mia-Generation still interesting ?

Yes, that’s a major interest of Mia-Generation. Since you have technology-independent model, you can regenerate your application by applying a different architecture (assembled technical choices). The only thing to do is to adapt your generator with Mia-Generation.
Mia-Generation has been designed to facilitate this type of evolution (package by business functions, templates to capture coding rule, cross references to measure impacts of a modification ...).

What is the difference between Architect and Developer edition ?

Mia-Generation Architect edition is the full function : you can create and modify your specific architecture-compliant generator.
Mia-Generation Developer edition is a run-time that execute your specific generator and can be run from your favourite IDE.

Can we generate J2EE or DotNet code with Mia-Generation ?

Mia-Generation is multi-target. The limit is the existence of transformation rule from model to code. Therefore, Mia-Generation is already put in place by our clients to produce various targets such as Java, C++, VB, XML, HTML, JSP, ASP, Ada-95, C , Delphi, Smalltalk …

I wish to generate Java or C#, should I start from scratch to build my specific generator ?

No. Mia-Generation comes with sources of generators in Java or C#. You just have to take your Architecture framework into account.

I already know some generators of the market, is Mia-Generation different ?

Mia-Generation is not a generator ! Mia-Generation is a user-friendly environment to create your own specific generator, fully compliant with your architecture. Lots of generator can be found on the market but no one can meet you needs and give you the freedom to modify, enrich or use as you wish and effectively produce real code, not just skeleton with no knowledge of your framework.

I already have a modeler and a development environment, do I need Mia-Generation ?

Mia-Generation is the missing bridge between UML’s modeler and your language’s IDE to effectively complete your favourite tool set. A modeling tool is useful for analysts and designers to build a model of your application no matter the technical choices to implement it. A development environment is useful for architects and developers to produce high value added code such as reusable technical components and business rules.
Mia-Generation bridges these two types of tool by automatically producing the main part of application code from the model.

Does Mia-Generation take into account customizations and extensions of my UML models (stereotypes and tagged values) ?

Yes, these custom concepts (business objects) can be used in your generator.

What is the percentage of code generated with Mia-Generation ?

Generated code by Mia-Generation‘s specific generator has exactly the level of quality that you demand.
Quality of code is strongly dependant of quality of coding rules put in Mia-Generation. The underlying principle of template enables captures of best validated samples of code (for instance taken from a prototype) and ensures the same quality level for all programs.

Is it possible to generate non oriented language (VB, Cobol, ...) ?

Of course ! If it exists transformation rules from UML to non-object languages. Therefore a generator can be built very easily with Mia-Generation. Then you can have a richer analyse, ready for future technological choices while keeping technologies already known by your team today to lower risk.

Is it possible to reuse part of a generator in a new one ?

Of course ! A generator is built with packages containing consistent set of rules. Scripts and packages can be shared between generators.

Can I use Mia-Generation with WSAD ? Generally speaking, how Mia-Generation is integrated with my own development environment ?

The Developer edition of Mia-Generation is available as a plug-in for Eclipse such as WSAD. Files generated by a Mia-Generation.’s architecture-compliant generator can be used inside the development environment. In general the API of Mia-Generation is open to allow any kind of integration with any relevant tool.

Can I generate documentation with Mia-Generation ?

Yes. A specific product dedicated to documentation is available in the Mia-Generation suite. Generated documents assemble fragments from the UML model and comply with your own layout and style sheet as well as diagrams (wmf images integration).

Which CASE/Modeler, Mia-Generation is compatible with ?

Mia-Generation can read UML file based on standard XMI (XML Metadata Interchange, defined by OMG), as exported by Poseidon, Rhapsody, Together, MagicDraw, Rational XDE, etc.
Furthermore, Mia-Generation can also read proprietary formats such as Rational’s Rose (mdl, cat and pty file formats).

If my CASE is not a well-known one, can I use Mia-Generation anyway ?

Yes, if your CASE can export in xmi format, you can use Mia-Generation. With Mia-Generation you can develop your own connector in Java to get information from any kind of format and structure.

Is it possible to use dynamic models of UML ?

Yes, Mia-Generation supports 100% of UML 1.4. All standard concepts of UML can be used in Mia-Generation to generate code (diagram, use-case, class, Activity, State, Sequence, Deployment, Component, Object, Collaboration).

Does Mia-Generation check UML Model before a generation ?

By default, Mia-Generation respects UML 1.4. If specific constraints are defined, a report generator can be built to double check the Model. This report generator can be run along with the code generation and if an anomaly is detected, a warning is issued and the generation can be sfaq_topped.

Is it possible run a generation from a subset of a model (some classes for example) ?

Yes, it is possible to filter your model even if it’s a dynamically asked in a dialog box at the beginning of the generation.

Is it possible, for a developer, to run a generation with no access to scripts ?

Yes. The developper edition of Mia-Generation is a version that only runs the generator with no means to modify it. The architect edition is the right one to modify without restriction your specific generator.

Does Mia-Generation updates my model from modifications of my files ?

No. Mia-Generation is design to generate architectured application. That implies to take into account your architecture framework and prevent from wild reverse engineering that pollutes your model with irrelevant technical information.

This development process is widely recommended and has been normalized by the OMG (Object Management Group www.omg.org) and labelled MDA (Model Driven Architecture). In this process, the reliable and long-lasting reference is the model and the generation is the means to keep it up-to-date and independent from technologies.

If the product analyses the code to create/update the model, you control neither the program nor the model that both represent the same objects in a different language but with the same level of abstraction. Generated code comes from the model and hand-written code coexists and is preserved between generations. At last, for an architectured application a useful reverse tool should take into account your architecture but no such tool exists. Thus, a reverse tool must be the exact symmetrical one of the generator meaning that if you want to customize your generator to produce and architectured code, you must modify the reverse tool as well and that required high skills about parsing.

Does exist a link between Mia-Generation and configuration management tool ?

Yes. Mia-Generation has a loose coupling to avoid dependence between Mia-Generation and any specific configuration management tool. Mia-Generation‘s generation report contents all necessary information for your configuration tool (model version, generator version, new files, modifications, deletions) and to use it, Mia-Generation provides a script that you configuration tool can run (ClearCase, SourceSafe, PVCS, ...).

How big is the training required to properly use Mia-Generation ?

A standard Mia-Generation training course duration is two days for people knowing UML and Java.
1st day: Principles, features and automation of development process.
2nd day: Mia-Generation in practice with real case.

How long is a training course for Mia-Generation ?

A standard Mia-Generation training course duration is two days for people knowing UML and Java.
1st day: Principles, features and automation of development process.
2nd day: Mia-Generation in practice with real case.

Is a minimum size required for a development team willing to use Mia-Generation in the development process ?

There is no recommended team size. You can take advantage of Mia-Generation on 2-to-3-people projects as well as thousand-man-day projects. The benefit increases with your wish to capitalize on the knowledge of your business with models, and your willingness to rationalize your developments with a technical architecture based on reusable components.
Benefits and productivity increase have been proven on the field by clients successful experiences

I have a WEB page composer (ex : Dreamweaver), do you have a solution to integrate it with Mia-Generation ?

Yes, you can have an add-in of Mia-Generation to integrate GUI Design tool and modeling. A page/screen is analysed to create a UML representation and the relevant links. Then, you can automatically have in your UML model :
- screens /pages calling graph
- screens /pages links with business objects
- services calls defined in your business objects

All this UML information can be used to generate corresponding code.