Microsoft Visual Studio - Oslo

The recent announcement that Microsoft is joining the OMG is a major step to provide modeling solutions at different abstraction levels. Furthermore, the announcement is another indicator for a shift in thoughts about modeling within Microsoft, where DSLs (not based on UML) were the favorites until recently. I personally think that this change in modeling strategy is a victory of common sense, accepting the fact that UML is a standard for modeling software today, and with the evolution of UML it is feasible to build DSLs based on this standard.

But this is another topic, so let's talk about Visual Studio codename "Oslo":

”Oslo” is the codename for Microsoft’s forthcoming modeling platform. Modeling is used across a wide range of domains and allows more people to participate in application design and allows developers to write applications at a much higher level of abstraction. “Oslo” consists of:

• A tool that helps people define and interact with models in a rich and visual manner
• A language that helps people create and use textual domain-specific languages and data models
• A relational repository that makes models available to both tools and platform components

“Oslo” was first announced by Robert Wahbe (Corporate Vice President of the Connected Systems Division) in October 2007.

Modeling has often been heralded as a means to break down technology and role silos in application development to assist IT departments in delivering more effective business strategies. However, while the promise of modeling has existed for decades, it has failed to have a mainstream impact on the way organizations develop and manage their core applications. Microsoft believes that models must evolve to be more than static diagrams that define a software system; they are a core part of daily business discussions, from organizational charts to cash flow diagrams. Implementing models as part of the design, deployment and management process would give organizations a deeper way to define and communicate across all participants and aspects involved in the application lifecycle.

In order to make model-driven development a reality, Microsoft is focused on providing a model-driven platform and visual modeling tools that make it easy for all “mainstream” users, including information workers, developers, database architects, software architects business analysts and IT Professionals, to collaborate throughout the application development lifecycle. By putting model-driven innovation directly into the .NET platform, organizations will gain visibility and control over applications from end-to-end, ensuring they are building systems based on the right requirements, simplifying iterative development and re-use, and enabling them to resolve potential issues at a high level before they start committing resources.

Modeling is a core focus of Microsoft’s Dynamic IT strategy, the company’s long-term approach to provide customers with technology, services and best practices to enable IT and development organizations to be more strategic to the business. “Oslo” is a core piece of delivering on this strategy.

“The benefits of modeling have always been clear, but traditionally only large enterprises have been able to take advantage of it and on a limited scale. We are making great strides in extending these benefits to a broader audience by focusing on three areas. First, we are deeply integrating modeling into our core .NET platform; second, on top of the platform, we then build a very rich set of perspectives that help specific personas in the lifecycle get involved; and finally, we are collaborating with partners and organizations like OMG to ensure we are offering customers the level of choice and flexibility they need.”