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This document reports on the use of an algebraic, visual, formal approach to the specification of patterns for the formalization of the GoF design patterns. The approach is based on graphs, morphisms and operations from category theory and exploits triple graphs to annotate model elements with pattern roles. Being based on category theory, the approach can be applied to formalize patterns in different domains. Novel in our proposal is the possibility of describing (nested) variable submodels, inter-pattern synchronization across several diagrams (e.g. class and sequence diagrams for UML design patterns), pattern composition, and conflict analysis., Comment: 17 pages and 41 figures. Supplementary material for the paper to appear in the Information and Software Technology Journal.

We present a new, high-level approach for the specification of model-to-model transformations based on declarative patterns. These are (atomic or composite) constraints on triple graphs declaring the allowed or forbidden relationships between source and target models. In this way, a transformation is defined by specifying a set of triple graph constraints that should be satisfied by the result of the transformation. The description of the transformation is then compiled into lower-level operational mechanisms to perform forward or backward transformations, as well as to establish mappings between two existent models. In this paper we study one of such mechanisms based on the generation of operational triple graph grammar rules. Moreover, we exploit deduction techniques at the specification level to generate more specialized constraints (preserving the specification semantics) reflecting pattern dependencies, from which additional rules can be derived. This is an extended version of the paper submitted to ICGT'08, with additional definitions and proofs., Comment: extended version of the paper from the ICGT'2008 conference (Leicester)