Content-based search of model repositories with graph matching techniques

Modern software project repositories provide support for both source code and design models that describe in details the data structure, behavior, and components of an application. We propose a graph matching-based technique between software models to address content-based query (a.k.a., query by example) on project repositories so as to retrieve significant model fragments for reuse. This can be extremely valuable in a scenario where the designer has a rough idea of the model or pattern he needs, he quickly sketches a coarse schema, and wants to retrieve projects that contain matching patterns (with all the details in place). Our approach encompasses the transformation of models into suitable graphs, the definition of a similarity function and an implementation within a search engine platform. In this paper we present the graph matching approach of the query model against the model repository and we evaluate different configurations of the similarity function.