Coherent models for object-oriented analysis

Analysis is intended for the formulation and communication of domain descriptions. Consequently, the notations used must be intuitive, expressive and precise. Current object-oriented analysis techniques sat,isfy the first two goals. However, they a.re informal and rely on domain knowledge for establishing semantics and consistency. In this paper, we present a set of formally based coherent models extending current informal techniques. The models have a precise semantics and they constitute a consistent description technique for domain analysis. Each model is described and its role in the analysis process discussed. Consistency checking between models is demonstrated. The ideas are illustra.ted using a simple drawing application example.