The unique name
assumption makes it impossible. The UML and MOF do not support the dynamic
classification of classes. It is possible that, when metamodel is extended to include
the methodology evolution, two classes must be replaced by their intersection: The
instance of the new class contains both previous classes. This is not possible in
UML, since every instance can be only the instance of a class and not the instance
of two classes at the same time.
It is important to have a machine-readable description of the model. In MOF approach
we use XML metadata interchange (XMI) as a model representation language (but
we are free to use any XML description). XMI is an OMG standard and there are
different formats according to the graphic editors that produce it. A model description
must be understandable in an easy and univocal way by the software agent and
preferably should be a W3C standard.
Finally, classes, attributes, and relationships are insufficient to express all the methodology
primitives and so, in the MOF approach there is an external language, OCL,
to describe the methodology constraints.
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