Generating human-usable textual notations for information models

Existing techniques for the transfer of information in and out of model-based repositories, and in particular the XMI format, are designed for expedient machine processing, and have significant drawbacks for human users. The article describes a system that automatically generates a producer and consumer for a human-usable textual notation corresponding to a given information model. This HUTN system is based on the Meta-Object Facility, an OMG standard for the definition of information models and the subsequent mapping of these models to CORBA interfaces. The primary design goal of the system is human usability, and this is achieved through consideration of the successes and failures of common programming languages. The system uses an abstract base syntax that is applied to all models, and allows for user alteration of the language through the provision of several language customisations.