Object-Oriented Conceptual Modeling of Web Application Interfaces: the OO-HMethod Abstract Presentation Model

Object-oriented conceptual modeling approaches must be reconsidered in order to address the particulars associated with the design of web application interfaces. In this context, the paper introduces the presentation layer of OO-HMethod, an extension of the OO-Method conceptual modeling approach that is devoted to the specification of this kind of interfaces. The OO-H Method presentation approach is based on the concept of templates. Each page template may fall into one among a set of categories, which together cover the different presentation perspectives captured in the model. In order to better define the page template structure, a new diagram is introduced: the Abstract Presentation Diagram (APD). The APD does not need to be drawn from scratch: the navigation structure previously defined in the OO-HMethod Navigation Access Diagram (NAD) provides the information needed to automatically generate a default APD. This skeleton template structure may be further refined and enriched with the aid of the OO-HMethod Interface Pattern Catalog. As a result, a web application interface is generated in an automated way.