Markup language model transformation with ATL

Abstract

Nowadays, Internet communication and global data exchange rely on markup languages, which represent one of the most commonly used modern digital technologies. Due to the lack of a global standard, the conversion of content from one markup language to another is usually a complicated task. One of the most common solutions found in related research is based on the use of code-centric software engineering, which requires a significant investment of time and shifts the focus from the problem domain to the technical implementation. These draw-backs can be overcome by proposing a Model-Driven Engineering (MDE) approach, which observes a problem on a higher level of abstraction. Based on the previously created meta-models of markup languages, this research aims to show that it is possible to convert the content between different markup language models using the ATL Model-to-Model (M2M) transformation language. To verify this approach, a real-life example of the conversion of content from the Markdown language model into an HTML model using ATL transformation is provided. The developed transformation represents one of the necessary prerequisites for a comprehensive solution to the content conversion from one markup language to another.