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Getting Started with Epsilon

Epsilon offers a wide range of tools so your starting point can differ depending on what you are trying to achieve.

Online Playground

If you prefer not to download/install anything just quite yet, you can fiddle with EMF models and metamodels, and with some of the Epsilon languages in the online Epsilon Playground.

  • In most cases, your first step should be to download and install Epsilon as shown here.
  • If you are a complete newcomer to model-based software engineering and the Eclipse modelling ecosystem, you should start by watching this series of lectures.
  • If you are interested in ways to create graphical editors or views for your EMF-based models, you can have a look at Picto and Eugenia.
  • If you are looking for a generic textual (XML/YAML-based) syntax to create/edit EMF-based models, you should look at Flexmi.
  • If you are interested in automating model management activities such as code generation, you should have a look at the languages that Epsilon offers for model-to-text transformation, model-to-model transformation and model validation (all of which extend the same core language).
    • To find out more about how you can run Epsilon programs within Eclipse, have a look at our screencasts on YouTube.
    • To understand how you can run Epsilon programs from your Java application, have a look at this article.
    • To find out how you can run Epsilon programs from ANT, Maven and Gradle build scripts, this article should be a good starting point.
  • Epsilon and the broader Eclipse modelling ecosystem can appear intimidating at first but if you stick around long enough, it will all make sense and you will add a very powerful and versatile set of technologies to your tool belt.