Future Modeling Tools with Eclipse Theia

Presented by Maximillian Koegel of EclipseSource at TheiaCon 2023.
Are you planning to create a domain-specific modeling tool using modern web-based technology? Wondering how to seamlessly integrate modeling capabilities into your Eclipse Theia-based tools and IDEs while optimizing operational costs in the cloud? Look no further!
In recent years, the rise of several open-source components has enabled the migration of modeling tools to web-based tech stacks. While this allows for leveraging traditional technologies like EMF, it often leads to compromises, such as a mixed developer experience with TypeScript and Java, and inflexible deployment architectures, resulting in high maintenance and increased operational costs in the cloud.
In this talk, we unveil a fresh architecture for domain-specific modeling tools that leaves no room for compromises or legacy components from the desktop. This innovative approach integrates cutting-edge open-source technologies, including Eclipse Langium, the Node-based Eclipse GLSP, and novel components of EMF Cloud. All components are native Typescript, which means developers can enjoy a consistent development experience across all components and achieve more efficiency in cloud resource utilization. In fact, you can even run your entire modeling tool directly in the browser, eliminating the need for dedicated cloud infrastructure.
We demonstrate this architecture in action through a feature-rich, open-source example modeling tool, which can serve as a blueprint for your projects. Our presentation offers a comprehensive overview of these integrated technologies, their synergies, and discusses best practices for building state-of-the-art modeling tools in the web-based tool era.
Join us as we embark on the future of modeling tool development, harnessing the power of the latest EMF Cloud, Langium, GLSP, and other modern open-source technologies, all while optimizing operational costs and enhancing the developer experience.