index > Visual Studio Team System - Domain-Specific Language Tools > How to integrate custom DSL with Class Designer?

How to integrate custom DSL with Class Designer?

Hello,

at PDC 05, Jochen Seemann demonstrated that a custom DSL can be integrated with the Class Designer that is part of Visual Studio 2005. I'm doing a quick research on this topic but found no good resources. Can somebody please point me to the appropriate documentation or samples? I would be very graceful.

Thank you,
Borek

Borek Bernard

Hi Borek,

What do you mean by integrate? Do you mean make a reference to Class Designer metamodel elements or something else? I'm interested too in using in my DSL metamodel SDM domain classes, for instance. What I know that there is at least two problems: Class Designer and SDM are based on first version of DSL, it means that ModelElement classes are different in current version of DSL and first one. But probably if you load all old assemblies such Microsoft.VisualStudio.Model.Sdk and so on, on which ClassDesigner is depend on, it will work. The second problem is related to problem about, current version of DSL does not support external references. There is some work around (http://forums.microsoft.com/MSDN/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=604034&SiteID=1) but it does not solve all problems. Microsoft promised that SDM and Class Desinger will be implemented in base on latest version of DSL when DSL is released. I hope I answer you question.

Evgeny Popov

Hi,

my concrete situation is that I want to build a DSL that is more abstract than Class Diagram. In my top-level DSL, I want to be able to click on some diagram element, select "Drill down into Class Diagram" and to show appropriate objects in CD.

But your response was informative, thank you.
Borek

Borek Bernard

Hi,

Actually, it is possible, probably. You can use CustomStorageProperty and ExternalType. It gives you possibility to store CD in external file as property of your domain class. And you can add a handler and inside handler invoke opening of a CD file. I'm trying to do almost the same,but both my metamodels are based on the latest version of the DSL. In your case, you may have version's troubles as I wrote before. But you can try it.

Evgeny

Evgeny Popov

reply 4