The MTConnect Transpiler refers to the open-source, C# library that deserializes the MTConnect SysML model into a strongly-typed model. With the implementation of "Sinks", the Transpiler is capable of transpiling the SysML model of the standard into anything such as code, documentation, and more.
The transpiler represents a leap forward in standards development and implementation. Developers that implement the transpiler in their workflows will find it's easier to maintain parity with the development of the standard.
As a developer, if you're looking to use implement "model-aware" in your software, it is recommended to look for existing, open-source transpiler projects that may already output the codebase you need. For example, the MtconnectCore and MTConnect.NET C# libraries already contain transpiled code from the standard.
If you need a more custom codebase, then you will need to utilize sinks to implement your own executable transpiler.
The MTConnect Transpiler implements a sink architecture where-in the MtconnectTranspiler library is capable of deserializing the XMI of the MTConnect SysML model into a strongly-typed class model. The MtconnectTranspiler then sends this model to sink operator(s) to complete the tranpilation process.
To get started developing a custom sink, determine if there is an existing "abstract" sink that can help you get started. Examples of this include the ScribanTemplates or CSharp projects which give you a headstart in implementing the Transpiler.
Continue with these steps:
Mtconnect.Transpiler library in your C#
$ dotnet add package MtconnectTranspiler. View the MtconnectTranspiler project on GitHub (mtconnect/MtconnectTranspiler)ITranspilerSink interface and the Transpile(XmiDocument model, CancellationToken cancellationToken) methodMtconnect.Transpiler library should be inherited
TranspilerDispatcher
var dispatcher = new TranspilerDispatcher(new FromFileOptions() { Filepath = "...path to XMI" })dispatcher.AddSink(new Transpiler(...Options))await dispatcher.TranspilerAsync()Note the specific construction of the Transpiler will differ depending on the options required.
Once a transpiler is created, for example to write code, it should only need to be run in case of the following events:
These events may be rare and are appropriate candidates for workflow automation.
If you've implemented your transpiler as an executable (ie. EXE file or cross-platform .NET standard app) then you can easily trigger the execution of the transpiler at the end of your workflow. Then, it is recommended to commit any code changes to a new branch and create a new pull request.
Here are a few examples of sink implementations that can be referenced and built upon:
MtconnectTranspiler.Sinks.ScribanTemplates: An abstract sink that utilizes Scriban templates to generate static files. View on GitHub (mtconnect/MtconnectTranspiler.Sinks.ScribanTemplates)
MtconnectTranspiler.Sinks.CSharp: An abstract sink that builds upon the MtconnectTranspiler.Sinks.ScribanTemplates project to write .cs (C#) files. View on GitHub (mtconnect/MtconnectTranspiler.Sinks.CSharp)
MtconnectCore: An open-source project that uses the MtconnectTranspiler.Sinks.CSharp to write custom classes and enums that reflect the standard. View on GitHub (TrueAnalyticsSolutions/MtconnectCore)AdapterSdk: An open-source project that uses the MtconnectTranspiler.Sinks.CSharp to write custom classes and enums that reflect the standard. View on GitHub (TrueAnalyticsSolutions/Mtconnect.Adapter)MtconnectTranspiler.Sinks.JsonSchema: An abstract sink that builds upon the MtconnectTranspiler.Sinks.ScribanTemplates project to write .json (JSON) files. View on GitHub (mtconnect/MtconnectTranspiler.Sinks.JsonSchema)MTConnect.NET: A fork of the MtconnectTranspiler project used to maintain class models used in MTConnect.NET libraries. View on GitHub (TrakHound/MTConnect.NET)