Integrating analysis and design methods (abstract)

Abstract

Most of those who practice object-oriented analysis and design do not follow any standard method exactly, but combine different techniques to suit their own unique requirements. Each method employs its own set of models, notations, and processes, so it can be difficult to combine them. This tutorial shows how to design a method by providing a framework for understanding and evaluating current methods, applying it to three recent methods (OMT (Rumbaugh et al), Responsibility Driven Design/CRC cards, Booth 91 Method), and combining them to produce a new method, FUSION, that builds on their best aspects. The tutorial introduces a set of criteria for evaluating methods from the viewpoint of the object-oriented concepts they support, the kinds of models and notations they employ and the process steps that they recommend. The criteria provides a way to understand the underlying similarities and differences between methods. The criteria were developed as part of a program to assess what kind of method should be made available to HP engineers, which led to the development of the FUSION method. The tutorial ends with a brief account of the usefulness of FUSION in practice.