On the basis of DEXLIB

In order to produce the specifications, several freely available tools have been used, which can be of use if willing to exploit models, schemas and representations produced by the projects.

The EXPRESS schemas can be displayed and edited using the following tools:

• JSDAI
• STEP schema editor
• STEP file editor

The XML schema was produced using . It can be edited with XML spy, XML Eclipse plug-in, etc. It can be parsed using SAXON ... It can be visualized as UML model using Hypermodel. It can be used for Java serialization using JAXB. It can be visualized using numerous editors and web navigator. It is about impossible to list all the tools allowing to use or exploit the XML Schemas and we only mentionned those we used in the project.

The edition of the DEX as a composite XML document was produced using XML editor able to exploit DEXs DTDs, such as Oxygen or Serna Free XML authoring tool (from SYNTEXT). Eclipse (Helios) + WTP plugin is also a solution of interest as it can be coupled with other Eclipse tools, in particular file configuration management whin working with a distributed team. It is the solution used by he em working on TDP Message

The implementations of reference were designed with UML modelers, free (Papyrus UML, Topcased...) or not (MagicDraw). MDA code generator was used in order to produce business logic to be deployed on EJB server(s) such as JBoss or Glassfish.

In order to draw EXPRESS-G, Eurostep Graphical Express was used. It is a Microsoft Viso plug-in, provided freely by Eurostep. It can be completed by a complementary plugin allowing to also draw templates. This plug-in does not work properly with last versions of Visio. Visio 2000-2002 should be used..
IDEF0 diagrams can also be drawn with Visio and accurate plug-in

Note that Visio was used to produce most of the diagrams available on the DEXLIB. So if willing to reuse them, visio is to be used. Issue related with last version incompatibility is a real one.

On the basis of PLCSLIB

It is not clear yet what will be all the required tools for formalizing a DEX on the basis of PLCSLIB.

• Magic Draw will be required as it is the tool used for modeling the SysML part of a DEX
  
• PLCLIB is available on Source Forge
  

It is planned to investigate the full production chain in the coming weeks.