Conceptual Modeling in Requirements Engineering

Abstract

The software production process involves a set of phases where a clear relationship and smooth transitions between them should be introduced. In this paper, a requirements engineering-based conceptual modeling approach is introduced as a way to improve the quality of the software production process. The aim of this approach is to provide a set of techniques and methods to capture software requirements and to provide a way to move from requirements to a conceptual schema in a traceable way. The approach combines a framework for requirements engineering (TRADE) and a graphical object-oriented method for conceptual modeling and code generation (OO-Method). The intended improvement of the software production process is accomplished by providing a precise methodological guidance to go from the user requirements (represented through the use of the appropriate TRADE techniques) to the conceptual schema that properly represents them (ac-cording to the conceptual constructs provided by the OO-Method). Additionally, as the OO-Method provides full model-based code generation features, this combination minimizes the time dedicated to obtaining the nal software product.