AST

The O’Caml AST can be represented as an EMF model (described by an Ecore metamodel).

This has several advantages:

• EMF generates the AST classes
• EMF is a robust, proven technology
• AST can be serialized to XMI
• could use CDO for scalability (for very big code bases that cannot be represented in memory)
• The code representation can be manipulated by all the existing modeling tools:
  • code refactoring as a model transformation
  • code analysis becomes easier :
    • existing tools that understand EMF
    • easier to reason about a well-defined model
    • possible to provide code visualizations
• The AST can be visualized easily in a model browser
  • Bugs in the AST construction code are easier to spot
  • Pedagogically useful to be able to browse the AST in a graphical way