Code generation using model driven architecture: A systematic mapping study

Abstract Model Driven Architecture (MDA) has earned a prominent place in Software Engineering. However, while the application of MDA in software industry has grown, its impact in industry is not being as fast and broad as predicted. Moreover, the emerging use of agile methods have had an effect on the interest of industry and academics on developing software using metamodels. As a result, it is difficult to establish the true interest of practicioners about code generation using model driven architectures. This study investigates the scientific evidence of model driven architecture by conducting a systematic mapping of MDA literature in software engineering between 2008 and 2018. The search strategy resulted in 2.145 studies, of which 50 were identified as primary articles relevant to this study. We have verified that there is a considerable number of research articles that make use of MDA, published in a variety of journals, congresses and workshops, referred to very varied fields of application, and this number of publications seems to be increasing. The study also shows that, while there are few relevant publications that specifically deal with code generation using MDA, most of them show how this technology can be applied successfully to enhance software development.