Evolving object oriented design, a case study

ABSTRACT

Handling the complexity of hierarchical Object Oriented Design (OOD) decomposition and dealing with the subjective nature of the supporting pictorial representations have historically been two relatively undeveloped aspects of the design methodology. By defining decomposition rules, a requirements allocation scheme, and an organized method of uniquely cataloging objects, the overall complexity of the hierarchical design decomposition process can be reduced. The addition of documentation standards, which are used to formally record and track the assignment of requirements, further reduces the complexity. The documentation standards also require that all relevant information concerning objects and operations, as well as their interactions, be formally recorded. The subjective nature of OOD pictorial representations can be eliminated by incorporating data couples and control arrow and using support documentation to record that information which can not be represented pictorially. The intent of this paper is to illustrate, by case study, method improvements to further evolve OOD. By incorporating these improvements into the OOD process, the portability, reusability and maintainability of the resulting software can be increased.

INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  D. Software
  D.1 PROGRAMMING TECHNIQUES

Additional Classification:
  D. Software
  D.2 SOFTWARE ENGINEERING
      D.2.1 Requirements/Specifications
          Subjects: Methodologies (e.g., object-oriented, structured)
      D.2.2 Design Tools and Techniques
          Subjects: User interfaces
      D.2.7 Distribution, Maintenance, and Enhancement
          Subjects: Documentation

General Terms:
Design, Documentation