An Ontological Evaluation of the OML Metamodel

The paper presents results of analysing and evaluating the OPEN Modelling Language (OML) metamodel in terms of the Bunge-Wand-Weber (BWW) model of information systems and the Framework of Information Systems Concepts (FRISCO). The analysis and evaluation has suggested several ways to improve the modeJling constructs supported by OML and to improve how OML is defined and organised. It has also made it clearer how and why ontological models like the BWW -model and FRISCO can and should be used to improve and define object-oriented (00) modelling languages. In particular, it has led to a template for defining 00 modelling constructs in terms of what they represent in the problem domain during IS development. Finally, the analysis and evaluation has suggested ways to improve FRISCO as an analysis and evaluation tool for 00 modelling languages.

[1]  Brian Henderson-Sellers,et al.  The OPEN process specification , 1997 .

[2]  Ron Weber,et al.  On the ontological expressiveness of information systems analysis and design grammars , 1993, Inf. Syst. J..

[3]  Brian Henderson-Sellers,et al.  Viewing the OML as a variant of the UML , 1999 .

[4]  Ron Weber,et al.  Ontological foundations of information systems , 1997 .

[5]  Brian Henderson-Sellers,et al.  Open Modeling Language (OML)-Refer-ence Manual , 1998 .

[6]  M. Bunge.  Treatise on basic philosophy , 1974 .

[7]  Peter Green,et al.  An ontological analysis of information systems analysis and design (ISAD) grammars in upper case tools , 1996 .

[8]  Ron Weber,et al.  An Ontological Evaluation of Systems Analysis and Design Methods , 1989, ISCO.

[9]  Yair Wand,et al.  Choosing classes in conceptual modeling , 1997, CACM.

[10]  Yanchun Zhang,et al.  An analytical evaluation of NIAM'S grammar for conceptual schema diagrams , 1996, Inf. Syst. J..

[11]  Brian Henderson-Sellers,et al.  Upgrading OML to Version 1.1: Part 2 Additional Concepts and Notation , 1998, J. Object Oriented Program..

[12]  Yair Wand,et al.  A Proposal for a Formal Model of Objects , 1989, Object-Oriented Concepts, Databases, and Applications.

[13]  Brian Henderson-Sellers,et al.  What is this thing called aggregation? , 1999, Proceedings Technology of Object-Oriented Languages and Systems. TOOLS 29 (Cat. No.PR00275).

[14]  Yair Wand,et al.  Using objects for systems analysis , 1997, CACM.

[15]  Ron Weber,et al.  On the deep structure of information systems , 1995, Inf. Syst. J..

[16]  Pete Sawyer,et al.  Requirements Engineering: A Good Practice Guide , 1997 .

[17]  Brian Henderson-Sellers,et al.  Upgrading OML to Version 1.1: Referential Relationships , 1998, J. Object Oriented Program..

[18]  Andreas L. Opdahl,et al.  Facet Modelling: An Approach to Flexible and Integrated Conceptual Modelling , 1997, Inf. Syst..

[19]  Eckhard D. Falkenberg,et al.  FRISCO: A framework of information system concepts : The FRISCO report (WEB edition) , 1998 .

[20]  Brian Henderson-Sellers,et al.  The OPEN toolbox of techniques , 1998 .

[21]  I R Graham.  Requirements engineering and rapid development: an object-oriented approach , 1998 .

[22]  Michael A. Jackson,et al.  Software requirements and specifications - a lexicon of practice, principles and prejudices , 1995 .