ISO/TS 10303-25:2005

Overview

ISO/TS 10303-25:2005 (Industrial automation systems and integration - Product data representation and exchange - Part 25) defines an EXPRESS to XMI binding. The technical specification specifies a mapping from the EXPRESS data specification language into the Object Management Group’s (OMG) Unified Modeling Language (UML), with the explicit purpose of generating files that conform to the OMG XML Metadata Interchange (XMI) format. This TS is part of the ISO 10303 (STEP) family focused on product data representation and exchange for industrial automation and systems integration.

Key Topics

• Scope and purpose: Defines the goals and intended outcomes of an EXPRESS→UML→XMI mapping for interoperable metadata exchange.
• Mapping rules: Prescribes how EXPRESS language constructs are represented in UML and serialized using XMI to ensure consistent interchange (naming, packaging and representation conventions).
• Data typing and structure: Covers the translation of EXPRESS types, complex structures and relationships into UML-compatible representations suitable for XMI output.
• Metadata and serialization: Addresses generation of XMI-compliant files so tools that support OMG XMI can consume EXPRESS-derived models.
• Implementation guidance: Provides implementers with method-level guidance to produce toolchains and exporters that reliably convert EXPRESS schemas into XMI artifacts.

Applications

ISO/TS 10303-25:2005 is valuable for organizations and practitioners who need robust, standards-based product data interchange across heterogeneous tools and platforms:

• CAD/PLM/PDM software developers building import/export functions between STEP/EXPRESS definitions and UML/XMI-based modeling tools.
• Systems integrators and automation engineers implementing data exchange pipelines between engineering systems and enterprise IT.
• Data architects and model translators who convert EXPRESS schemas into UML models for model-driven development, validation, or visualization.
• Tool vendors and middleware providers creating XMI exporters/importers to enhance interoperability across engineering toolchains.

Practical benefits include improved interoperability across model repositories, easier integration of engineering data with UML-based systems, and standardized XML-based exchange artifacts for automation and lifecycle management.

Related Standards

• ISO 10303 family (STEP) - product data representation and exchange
• EXPRESS - the data specification language used within STEP (part of the ISO 10303 framework)
• OMG UML - modeling language used as the target representation
• OMG XMI - XML Metadata Interchange format used for serialized interchange

Keywords: ISO/TS 10303-25:2005, EXPRESS to XMI binding, EXPRESS, UML, XMI, STEP, product data exchange, industrial automation, data interchange, system integration.