Chapter 5. Building Mappings

This chapter describes the whys and wherefores of mapping between models. The classic example is a mapping from an analysis model to a design model. As we shall see, this is just one of many possible kinds of mapping.

A mapping is defined by a mapping function, which is comprised of mapping rules. When a mapping is executed between a source model and a target model, it defines some or all of the content of the target model.

Automatic model transformations increase portability and development efficiency, which in turn increases software quality while lowering development time and cost. MDA incorporates automatic transformations into the early stages of software development.