From object-process analysis to object-process design

Abstract

The object-process methodology incorporates the system static-structural and dynamic-procedural aspects into a single, unified model. This unification bridges the gap that separates the static, “object” model from the dynamic, behavior, state, or function-oriented models found in many current object oriented methodologies. In this work we concentrate on the transition from object-process analysis to design within the development of information systems. We use a detailed case study as a running example throughout the paper to demonstrate how the structure-behavior unification, which characterizes object-process analysis, is carried on to object-process design. The case study first applies object-process analysis to perform the analysis stage. The sequence of steps that constitutes the design is then discussed and demonstrated through the case study. The design is divided into two phases: the analysis refinement phase and the implementation-dependent phase. Analysis refinement is concerned with adding details to the analysis results which are beyond the interest of the analysis itself, yet they are not related with a particular implementation. The implementation-dependent phase is concerned with code-level design, which takes place after specific implementation details, such as programming language, data organization, and user interface, have been made during the strategic design.