Mentor Graphics said it would take its Unified Modeling Language (UML) editor of its BridgePoint xtUML environment into the open source domain.
The company said the migration into open source domain will enable it provide the system design community with broader access to UML editing capabilities and executable and translatable model-driven development.
Originator of the modeling methodology that underlies BridgePoint xtUML Stephen Mellor open source has already reduced barriers to entry for modeling tools.
"Making BridgePoint open source now extends this benefit to users of executable and translatable UML, while allowing them to continue to gain from the extensive expertise captured by MGC’s model compilers and verification tools," added Mellor.
Mentor Graphics said making the UML editor portion open source, provides the industry with model-driven development flows that can be augmented with user-developed model compilers.
UML entry provides a starting point for model-driven flows, which improves a company’s ability to capture design intent, validate requirements, communicate and manage data across disciplines and organizational boundaries, reuse intellectual property, and even generate downstream implementations, Mentor said.
BridgePoint is an xtUML-based environment built upon the Eclipse IDE platform, where xtUML indicates extensions to the standard UML, allowing execution of the UML model to verify its behavior along with translation of the UML into downstream implementation languages such as C, C++, SystemC and others, while supporting interface standards, the company noted.
BridgePoint includes a UML editor, a verifier providing simulated execution capability, and a set of model compilers providing translation.
The BridgePoint product’s verifier and the current portfolio of commercial grade model compilers, which will plug into the open source UML editor, will remain Mentor Graphics products.
