Background/Problem:
Information technology is reaching higher levels of complexity for software, services, and data. In order to cope with this complexity, higher abstraction levels, commonly called models, have to be used. Several initiatives focus on the use of models for automatic generation of concrete implementations, which is called model-driven development. In order to ensure that the models are on the right level of abstraction, they have to be given in a tailor-made language. Currently there is only very limited support to handle tailor-made languages. However, in order to be efficient developers rely on integrated environments for their languages.

Solution/Methodology:
SMILE attacks the problem of language development with two novel ideas: It applies model driven development to the process of language design and tool development, and it extends structural meta-modelling with description facilities for all kinds of language semantics to create a methodology allowing the complete descriptions of languages in both structure and semantics.
The SMILE project will create an environment for the automatic generation of complete language environments out of high-level language descriptions. It will apply this technology in three areas:
• Handling of new domain specific languages,
• Integration of existing multi-purpose modelling languages, such as UML and SDL, and
• Modelling of domains with implicit information representations, usually represented by mouse clicks.
Combining the simultaneous development of the SMILE methodology and tools with actual use of SMILE in concrete projects, we ensure a sound technology with proven applicability to real industrial problems.
By enabling rapid development of languages, SMILE fits the rising demand for domain specific languages, model driven engineering, and information representations in developing software and services.

SMILE research assignments:
At present, the SMILE concept is to be applied in the development of a ship-land communication model, a research collaboration with Den Norske Veritas.