I have been talking about API migration a lot lately.

I have even a draft paper in limbo ... so much in limbo that I don't even link to it here.

In fact, I admit that it is very difficult to get anything done scientifically and practically on this topic.

Thanks to some recent collaboration, there are some cool results and a new draft paper.

Feedback very much appreciated.

Regards,

Ralf

http://www.uni-koblenz.de/~laemmel/xomjdom/

Transcript of an API migration for two XML APIs

Status

• Paper submitted for publication
• Wrapper implementation uploaded

 

Authors

Thiago Tonelli Bartolomei and Krzysztof Czarnecki and Ralf Lämmel and Tijs van der Storm

 

Abstract

API migration refers to the problem of adapting an application such that the usage of a given API (the source API) is replaced by the usage of an alternative API (the target API) serving the same domain. One may attempt to automate API migration by wrapping or some form of (source- or byte-) code transformation. API migration is relatively well understood for the special case where source and target APIs are essentially different versions of the same API. API migration is much less understood for the more general case where source API and target API have been developed more or less independently of each other. The present paper exercises a simple instance of the general case and develops engineering techniques towards the mastery of API migration. That is, a wrapper-based migration between two prominent XML APIs for the Java platform is studied where the various differences between the chosen APIs are identified, classified and counted in a systematic manner.