Object-oriented System Development Research Articles

Incorporating work, process and task analysis into commercial and industrial object-oriented systems development

article Free Access Share on Incorporating work, process and task analysis into commercial and industrial object-oriented systems development Authors: John Artim View Profile , Mark van Harmelen View Profile , Keith Butler View Profile , Jan Gulliksen View Profile , Austin Henderson View Profile , Srdjan Kovacevic View Profile , Shijian Lu View Profile , Scott Overmyer View Profile , Ray Reaux View Profile , Dave Roberts View Profile , Jean-Claude Tarby View Profile , Keith Vander Linden View Profile Authors Info & Claims ACM SIGCHI BulletinVolume 30Issue 4Oct. 1998 pp 33–36https://doi.org/10.1145/310307.310351Published:01 October 1998Publication History 21citation76DownloadsMetricsTotal Citations21Total Downloads76Last 12 Months6Last 6 weeks0 Get Citation AlertsNew Citation Alert added!This alert has been successfully added and will be sent to:You will be notified whenever a record that you have chosen has been cited.To manage your alert preferences, click on the button below.Manage my AlertsNew Citation Alert!Please log in to your account Save to BinderSave to BinderCreate a New BinderNameCancelCreateExport CitationPublisher SiteeReaderPDF

Effort estimation and prediction of object-oriented systems

Due to the growing diffusion of the object-oriented paradigm (OOP) and the need of maintaining under control the process of software development, industries are looking for metrics capable of producing satisfactory effort estimations and predictions. These metrics have to produce results with a known confidence since the early phases of software life-cycle in order to establish a process of prediction and correction of costs. To this end, specific metrics are needed in order to maintain under control object-oriented system development. In this paper, new complexity and size metrics for effort evaluation and prediction are presented and compared with respect to the most important metrics proposed for the same purpose in the literature. The validation of the most important of these metrics is also reported.

Compiling Knowledge-Based Systems to Ada: The PrkAda Core

This paper describes the implementation of PrkAda, a system for delivering, in Ada, Artificial Intelligence and object-oriented applications developed using the ProKappa system. (ProKappa is a modern, multi-paradigm knowledge-based–system development tool. It includes facilities for dynamic object management, rule-based processing, daemons, and graphical developer and end-user interfaces. ProKappa is a successor system to KEE.) Creating PrkAda required creating a run-time, Ada-language, object-system "core," and developing a compiler to Ada from ProTalk (ProKappa's high-level, backtracking-based language). We describe PrkAda ProTalk compiler in a companion paper [5]. This paper concentrates on the issues involved in implementing an AI application delivery core, particularly with respect to Ada, including • Automatic storage management (garbage collection) without either the cooperation of the compiler or access to the run-time stack, • Dynamic (weak) typing in a strongly-typed language, • Dynamic objects (objects that can change their slots and parentage as the program is executing) • Dynamic function binding in a language designed to preclude "self-modifying programs," and • Implementation trade-offs in object-oriented knowledge-based systems development environments

Exploring the Difficulties of Learning Object-Oriented Techniques

:Object-oriented (OO) analysis, design, and programming techniques have emerged as potential solutions to the software crisis. However, learning OO techniques can be a difficult process. This study investigates students’ perceptions of the difficulties in learning and using OO techniques. Two groups of students who had recently completed a sixteen-week course on OO systems development participated in the study. Cognitive mapping techniques implemented with group support system (GSS) technology were used to gather information on the students’ perceptions. The groups used the GSS to identify what was difficult about learning and using OO techniques, classify these concepts into categories, rank the relative importance of each category, and determine the relationships among the categories. Importance rankings of the categories show that learning basic object concepts was most important to and most difficult for the students, followed by design issues, and programming techniques. Composite cognitive maps of the shared perceptions of group members suggest that educators and industry trainers can reduce the difficulties of learning OO concepts by teaching simplified methodologies and controlling difficulties of the programming environment.

An electronic design assistance tool for case-based representation of designs

In precedent based design, solutions to problems are developed by drawing from an understanding of landmark designs. Many of the key design operations in this mode are similar to the functionalities present in case-based reasoning systems: case matching, case adapting, and case representation. It is clear that a rich case-base, encoding all major product types in a design domain would be the centerpiece of such an approach. EDAT (Electronic Design Assistance Tool) is intended to assist in precedent based design in the studio with the potential of expansion into the office setting. EDAT has been designed using object oriented system development methods. EDAT was used in a design studio at Carnegie Mellon University, during Spring 1996.

A functional layer for description logics

The paper motivates the facilities provided by Description Logics in an object-oriented programming scenario. It presents a unification approach of Description Logics and object-oriented programming that allows both views to be conveniently used for different subproblems in a modern software-engineering environment. The main thesis of this paper is that in order to use Description Logics in practical applications, a seamless integration with object-oriented system development methodologies must be realized.

Object-Oriented System Development in a Banking Project: Methodology, Experience, and Conclusions

Object-Oriented System Development in a Banking Project: Methodology, Experience, and Conclusions

Abstract Object State in Real-Time Control

Traditionally, finite state machines based approaches are used in real-time object-oriented systems development for modelling the dynamic behaviour of an object. Finite state machines based approaches, however, suffer from several problems when used for modelling large and complex objects. As an alternative, an extended object model, LAYOM and an associated modelling approach is proposed aiming to solve the aforementioned problems and other problems related to object state.

オブジェクト指向ツールによる船舶航行シミュレーションシステムの構築

オブジェクト指向ツールによる船舶航行シミュレーションシステムの構築

The Genome Reconstruction Manager: A Software Environment for Supporting High-Throughput DNA Sequencing

A new software system designed for use in high-throughput DNA sequencing laboratories is described. The Genome Reconstruction Manager (GRM) was developed from requirements derived from ongoing large-scale DNA sequencing projects. Object-oriented principles were followed in designing the system, and tools supporting object-oriented system development were employed for its implementation. GRM provides several advances in software support for high-throughput DNA sequencing: support for random, directed, and mixed sequencing strategies; a novel system for fragment assembly; a commercial object data-base management system for data storage; a client/server architecture for using network computational servers; and an underlying data model that can evolve to support fully automatic sequence reconstruction. GRM is currently being deployed for production use in high-throughput DNA sequencing projects.

An Object-oriented Systems Modelling Method based on the Jackson Approach

This paper proposes an object-oriented information systems development method that is based on the modelling approach of the Jackson method. Like the Jackson method, the proposed method separates the consideration of the real world subject matter about which a system is to compute from the function to be provided by a system for its users. Events and functions are the main information sources by which domain objects and other function-related objects are identified and modelled. The modelling approach of the proposed method is thoroughly discussed with the use of a Student-Records System as the mainline example

Object-extending class transformations

Abstract Reorganisation and evolution of class hierarchies is important for object-oriented system development and has received considerable attention in the literature. The contributions of this paper are: (1) a formal study of a set of extension relations and transformations on class hierarchies; (2) a presentation of a small set of primitive transformations which form a minimal and complete basis for the extension relations; and (3) an analysis of the impact of these transformations at the object level. The study leads to a better understanding of evolution and reuse of object-oriented software and class hierarchies. It also provides a terminology and a means of classification for design reuse. The theory presented in this paper is based on the Demeter data model, which gives a concise mathematical foundation for classes and their inheritance and part-of relationships. Parts of the theory have been implemented in the Demeter System TM C++, a CASE tool for object-oriented design and programming.

Cyclomatic Complexity: theme and variations

Focussing on the McCabe family of measures for the decision/logic structure of a program, leads to an evaluation of extensions to modularization, nesting and, potentially, to object-oriented program structures. A comparison of rated, operating and essential complexities of programs suggests two new metrics: inessential complexity as a measure of unstructuredness and product complexity as a potential objective measure of structural complexity. Finally, nesting and abstraction levels are considered, especially as to how metrics from the McCabe family might be applied in an object-oriented systems development environment.

Application of an object-oriented analysis and design methodology to engineering cost management

Object-oriented systems development life-cycle methodologies are highly iterative in nature. They use top-down decomposition and bottom-up synthesis techniques concurrently. Complemented by a suitable notation, they provide a powerful framework in which flexible and reliable systems can be built. Here, an appropriate life-cycle methodology and notation are reviewed briefly and then used to develop and document the design of a cost-management system for a wastewater treatment plant that requires the integration of economic and engineering models.

Object-oriented versus conventional software development: A comparative case study

Although object-oriented programming techniques have evolved into an accepted technology with recognized benefits for software development, profound qualitative and quantitative comparisons of conventional (module-oriented) and object-oriented systems are missing. We derive statements about qualitative and quantitative differences between conventional module-oriented and object-oriented software systems from the construction of a prototyping tool which was implemented in Modula-2 as well as in C++ (based on an object-oriented application framework). We also discuss the most striking reusability problems of object-oriented software building blocks.

Adapting and using JSD modelling technique as front-end to object-oriented systems development

The object-oriented program design technique has been in use for many years, but it is still not widely practised in information systems development. The reason is largely due to the lack of appropriate object-oriented problem domain modelling techniques. Many have indicated the need for object-oriented analysis techniques serving as a front-end to object-oriented systems development. The JSD (Jackson System Development) modelling technique has been mentioned by some as suitable for such purpose. The paper takes a closer look at JSD's modelling concepts and discusses how they can be used as a front-end support to object-oriented systems development.

Object-oriented systems development: survey of structured methods

Concepts of object-oriented system programming and system design are reviewed in the light of previous research on systems development methodologies. Key principles are identified and a selection of system development methods is then judged against these principles to determine their concordance with object-oriented design. The advantages of object-oriented system development are reviewed in the light of the study of structured system development methods.

An object-oriented approach to planning and managing software development projects

An object-oriented systems development approach is applied to the planning and control of software development projects with the objective examining places where the computer can provide “intelligent” facilitation of the process. An application design is presented that is based on the procedures used by a moderately sized custom software house. Smalltalk language object classes are defined for project entities such as client, objectives, functions, tasks, and resources. Other objects are used to generate functional and implementation plans and to provide routine reporting, maintenance, and control of active projects. Historical project data can be used to update a planning knowledge base. A constraint directed planning algorithm is used to assign resources and schedule tasks, and points within the system where project management “expertise” can be embedded within the system are identified. It is concluded that the concepts presented within this paper could be extended into related systems design and group decision making activities.

Biblio of object-oriented system development

An increasing number of articles and books is being published in the area of object-oriented system development (OOSD). A need for collection, classification and evaluation of the available material is already evident. This is why we decided to collect a bibliography when we started our research project on comparison of object-oriented analysis and design methods.Most of the included items do not attack the whole problem of OOSD but together they represent work done on many aspects of the problem. Some are related to the system design using various object-oriented programming languages. Also a few items have been included that deal with object-oriented principles in general. There are even some which are "comments" or "discussions" on the topic. The items were chosen on the basis that they should have some direct reference to object-oriented system development.This bibliography contains material in the field that has been published before Spring 1990. It is by no means supposed to be complete. If any references of particular significance have been omitted, the author would appreciate hearing about them. I hope this bibliography will help those planning to build object-oriented systems, or those who are working on new OOSD methods.

Structured analysis and object oriented analysis

The object-oriented paradigm still faces an open challenge: Delivering huge software systems routinely and cost effectively. To quote Ed Yourdon: “A system composed of 100,000 lines of C++ is not be sneezed at, but we don't have that much trouble developing 100,000 lines of COBOL today. The real test of OOP will come when systems of 1 to 10 million lines of code are developed.” Although the object-oriented community has an opening flirtation with exploratory programming and rapid prototyping by exploiting reuse via inheritance, there is for now, in my opinion, no hope that huge systems can be developed without giving due attention to what a target system is supposed to do. Which should produce an (electronic) (graphical) (Pseudo-formal) document, the requirements, that a customer can initially sign off. We believe as well that for huge systems a programming language independent design activity, that bridges the requirements and the actual programming effort, is mandatory. It goes without saying that we do not suggest that these activities constitute a waterfall sequence. Consequently, the object-oriented community needs to address the question whether well established analysis techniques, like Structured Analysis, Jackson's JSD, etc. can be reused for object-oriented system development or whether a dedicated object-oriented analysis (and design) method is called for. The panel members have been asked to consider the following of question: What is the relationship between Structured Analysis (SA) and Object Oriented Analysis (OOA)? More specifically: Can SA be used effectively to produce the requirements for a system that will be designed and implemented in an OO fashion? If not, is it possible to adjust SA, what needs to be added? If SA cannot be used at all, what is the key obstacle? In case SA and OOA have different applicability ranges, how do we circumscribe — positively and negatively - these ranges? Any overlap? We appreciate that the organizing committee of this conference has selected this crucial topic.