IONA’s Eric Newcomer has some thoughts about MDA as well. Sigh.
I wonder when people will start to understand that MDA is not about pictures, but about meta-information, and that an MDA approach does not mean that programming languages are obsolete. The key is to use model and PL where they are appropriate — instead of forcing everything into one pattern.
Amen, hallelujah, and sing it to the rafters.
The problem with MDA, and the Shlaer-Mellor method that preceded it in my experience, is the way it is taught. I’ve made semi-religious converts out of people who swore blind that generating code from models would never work in practice. I do it by getting them to build their own code generator with Access and VB (don’t laugh). They build a little database to hold their meta-information, e.g. for Ethernet message structures, then write some VB to walk the database and generate their code. They get a real Eureka thrill out of it. After that, you’ve got their attention and can start to introduce them to loftier concepts.
A lot of the tools on the market, at least the ones that I’ve worked with, are difficult for people to accept because they hide what’s going on under the covers. Users cannot develop faith in the tools and many of them turn against them.
A good educational programme makes all the difference.