Abstract

Low-code development platforms allow to reduce the time and resources required for developing business applications; thus, many companies are increasingly adopting them. However, they often use proprietary languages making it challenging to interoperate with other systems or switch to different low-code platforms, resulting in vendor lock-in situations. This research proposes to combine a model-driven approach based on rigorous requirements specifications defined in the ITLingo-ASL language with the Microsoft PowerApps technology to generate quasi-complete enterprise applications semi- automatically. This research analyses the ITLingo-ASL and Microsoft PowerApps metamodels, mainly focusing on concepts related to DataEntities, UI elements, Actors and Use cases to find similarities indicating that transforming one model is possible. It also pinpoints differences so that the ITLingo-ASL language can be extended to support software enterprise application specifications better.

Recommended Citation

Vilão, P. & Rodrigues da Silva, A. (2023). Rapid Production of Enterprise Applications in a Low-Code Environment: Comparing the Itlingo-ASL and Powerapps Metamodels. In A. R. da Silva, M. M. da Silva, J. Estima, C. Barry, M. Lang, H. Linger, & C. Schneider (Eds.), Information Systems Development, Organizational Aspects and Societal Trends (ISD2023 Proceedings). Lisbon, Portugal: Instituto Superior Técnico. ISBN: 978-989-33-5509-1. https://doi.org/10.62036/ISD.2023.49

Paper Type

Full Paper

DOI

10.62036/ISD.2023.49

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Rapid Production of Enterprise Applications in a Low-Code Environment: Comparing the Itlingo-ASL and Powerapps Metamodels

Low-code development platforms allow to reduce the time and resources required for developing business applications; thus, many companies are increasingly adopting them. However, they often use proprietary languages making it challenging to interoperate with other systems or switch to different low-code platforms, resulting in vendor lock-in situations. This research proposes to combine a model-driven approach based on rigorous requirements specifications defined in the ITLingo-ASL language with the Microsoft PowerApps technology to generate quasi-complete enterprise applications semi- automatically. This research analyses the ITLingo-ASL and Microsoft PowerApps metamodels, mainly focusing on concepts related to DataEntities, UI elements, Actors and Use cases to find similarities indicating that transforming one model is possible. It also pinpoints differences so that the ITLingo-ASL language can be extended to support software enterprise application specifications better.