Here are some items for consideration regarding Assistance for Tools and Best Practices. Please note that are written from a Domain perspective. Some may have already been covered or have answers that I should know. Mea culpa…
Concise and authoritative definition of metamodel and model (including the distinctions between them), guidance on applicability of each at the domain level (when one is preferred over the other), and how the direction taken affects the writing of RFPs, RFCs, and
RFP responses (specifications).
Guidance on the MOF and/or UML constructs that should and should not be used when creating a metamodel vs. model, with particular attention to the implications for generation of XMI. Regarding XMI, there remains a perception that all tools do not generate equivalent representations. Perhaps the ongoing work by the MIWG can inform guidance on tool selection for domain specification modeling.
In cases where an XSD representation of a specification model is required, concise and authoritative definition of the requirements for the structure of the XSD is needed. It may well be necessary to describe constructs that should not be used, e.g., containment. Pete Rivett’s work informs this.
Two cases (at least) for generation of XSD representations of model specifications exist: 1) Direct generation from the model; and 2) Use of a transform from the XMI representation to an XSD. Guidance is required on which approach is recommended/preferred. In the case of transformation from XMI to XSD, recommendations are needed as to which transforms are considered valid and the methods/means of their use.