Domain-specific conflict resolution and model merge

• Domain-specific version control system: DSMCompare • Domain-specific model merging • Curated labeled dataset for model merging • Comparative evaluation with EMFCompare and Git • User study validating DSMCompare Software developers often collaborate by contributing to different branches in a version control system. However, merging the changes from the different branches often leads to conflicts, and resolving these conflicts is a tedious task. This challenge is exacerbated when the software to merge are domain-specific models, since they follow a graph-like structure rather than linear text. DSMCompare is a tool for comparing domain-specific models, detecting differences, and visualizing conflicts using the concrete syntax of the domain-specific language. In this paper, we enhance DSMCompare with conflict resolution capabilities to reduce the effort of merging model versions. Our evaluation demonstrates that DSMCompare is effective in achieving highly accurate automatic conflict resolution with minimal manual intervention. A user study further validates the tool, revealing a significant decrease in resolution time coupled with higher accuracy and user satisfaction.

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Publication Details

Journal
Journal of Systems and Software
Published
2025-11-05
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jss.2025.112694
Primary Topic
Model-Driven Software Engineering Techniques
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
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article

Domain-specific conflict resolution and model merge

Manouchehr Zadahmad, Eugene Syriani
Journal of Systems and Software
Model-Driven Software Engineering Techniques
article

Domain-specific conflict resolution and model merge

Manouchehr Zadahmad, Eugene Syriani
article en

Abstract

• Domain-specific version control system: DSMCompare • Domain-specific model merging • Curated labeled dataset for model merging • Comparative evaluation with EMFCompare and Git • User study validating DSMCompare Software developers often collaborate by contributing to different branches in a version control system. However, merging the changes from the different branches often leads to conflicts, and resolving these conflicts is a tedious task. This challenge is exacerbated when the software to merge are domain-specific models, since they follow a graph-like structure rather than linear text. DSMCompare is a tool for comparing domain-specific models, detecting differences, and visualizing conflicts using the concrete syntax of the domain-specific language. In this paper, we enhance DSMCompare with conflict resolution capabilities to reduce the effort of merging model versions. Our evaluation demonstrates that DSMCompare is effective in achieving highly accurate automatic conflict resolution with minimal manual intervention. A user study further validates the tool, revealing a significant decrease in resolution time coupled with higher accuracy and user satisfaction.

Journal of Systems and SoftwareVol. 232
Université de Montréal (CA)
Openalex Percentile: Top 66%
Model-Driven Software Engineering Techniques
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