Traceability visualization in metamodel change impact detection

In Model-Driven Engineering metamodels are typically at the core of an ecosystem of artifacts assembled for a shared purpose. Therefore, modifying a metamodel requires care and skill as it might compromise the integrity of the ecosys- tem. Any change in the metamodel cannot prescind from recovering the ecosystem validity. However this has been proven to be intrinsically dificult, error-prone, and labour- intensive. This paper discusses how to generate and visual- ize traceability information about the dependencies between artifacts in a ecosystem and their related metamodel. Be- ing able to understand how and where changes affect the ecosystem by means of intuitive and straightforward visual- ization techniques can help the modeler in deciding whether the changes are sustainable or not at an early stage of the modification process. Copyright 2013 ACM.