Tools for RIM based software development

Tools for RIM based software development are software toolkits that can be used by software developers to support/implement HL7's RIM-based standards.

Notes:

1. Most tools within HL7 cater to 'standards creators', i.e. tools that support the standards development process. See e.g. HL7 Tooling FAQs and HL7.org toolkit page.
2. The term "implementation" is commonly/historically used in HL7 to identify "the process of creating implementation guides", whereas software developers would understand "implementation" to mean "software implementation / software development". For that reason this page avoids the term altogether.

The list below contains HL7-sponsored or HL7-developed tools, as well as open source, public domain, or commercial tools. By default all listed tools are open source and public domain. Commercial tools are (and: SHALL be) explicitely identified as such.

Tool Selection Criteria

If there are multiple options for a certain type of tool, the following list should aid HL7/RIMBAA in selecting/endorsing the most appropriate tool:

1. Offers support
   • Up to date documentation
   • Availability of skilled resources and services
2. Continued development
   • Follow developments within HL7 (with a reasonable time lag)
3. Proven usage (at least 1, or x, sites)
4. Open Architecture / reusability
   • Developed for re-use as a component in a different "stack", not be tied into one particular solution stack
5. No prohibitive licensing small-print
   • License should be unambiguous, clearly stated
   • For open products: use should not effectively require the purchase of non-open parts. No hidden "Widget-frosting", should be known ahead of time.
   • Note: RIMBAA doesn't insist on an 'open' license, HL7 probably does.

Tool Categories

Implementation tools that RIMBAA has identified include the ones below, sorted by the type of audience/task they support:

Tools that directly suport the software development process:

• MIF consumption, API to use MIF, MIF parser
• MIF based class/code generators (e.g. MDHT, Everest, JavaSIG)
  • Includes serialization (which is independent of ITS)
  • XML-Oriented: MIF based schema (e.g. v3Generator) and schematron generator
• MIF to model transformations (e.g. UML);
• MIF based database schema generator (e.g. MGRID^commercial?))
• MIF based UI generators
• ISO Datatypes library
• CTS products (e.g. Apelon, LexGRID, Healthlanguage^commercial)
• Mapping tools (e.g. Open Mapping Software)
• RIM Based Persistence Layer (inclusive of OO-API, as a base platform for application development) (e.g. JavaSIG, MGRID^commercial, Oracle HTB^commercial)
  • Subtype: ORM layer to abstract the data types (e.g. an enhanced Hibernate)

Tools that support software developers:

• Set of testcases/examples, to test ones code. Or test framework such as IHE Gazelle.
• Model Based Testing tools (e.g. Instance Editor, MDHT)
• Code Documentation Generators
• An example of a software implementation
• (Not a tool: MIF documentation, currently lacking)
• MIF visualization tool, show condensed view

Tools that are used by analysts/providers:

• Model (static/dynamic/UIs/..) Driven application generation tools (e.g. PHI Technology)
• Model Driven documentation generators (e.g. PHI technology)
• MIF based UI designers