Next Generation (Meta)Modeling: Web- and Cloud-based Collaborative Tool Infrastructure

Abstract. The paper presents WebGME, a novel, web- and cloud-based, collaborative, scalable (meta)modeling tool that supports the design of Domain Specific Modeling Languages (DSML) and the creation of cor-responding domain models. The unique prototypical inheritance, origi-nally introduced by GME, is extended in WebGME to fuse metamodel-ing with modeling. The tool also introduces novel ways to model cross-cutting concerns. These concepts are especially useful for multi-paradigm modeling. The main design drivers for WebGME have been scalability, extensibility and version control. The web-based architecture and the constraints the browser-based environment introduces provided signif-icant challenges that WebGME has overcome with balanced trade-offs. The paper describes the architecture of WebGME, argues why the major design decisions were taken and presents the novel features of the tool