PLUGGABLE NOTATIONS AND SEMANTICS FOR VISUAL MODELING ELEMENTS

Described is a method, system and data structures to logically separate the notations from the semantics of model element objects into separate code components, and to enable subsequent re-association of a selected notation with a selected semantic. Various notations and semantics from different providers may be combined. The invention may be implemented in a Visual Modeling Framework which defines the API set and/or interfaces to which the semantic and notation objects conform, and allows a notation and a semantic to be plugged into each other to create a model element, thereby allowing pluggable notations and pluggable semantics. A paradigm server may load a selected semantic and notation component, combine them, and present the combination to the framework as a model element. The paradigm server may be a pluggable component, having specialized knowledge for validating whether a semantic object can be used in a paradigm and combined with a notation.