Abstract
As projects for developing information systems are getting larger and more complicated, we need to have more advanced development methods suitable for every development situation. Method engineering is the discipline to construct new methods from parts of existing methods, called method fragments. To achieve this objective, we need to clarify how to model the existing methods and how to assemble method fragments into new project-specific methods, so-called situational methods. Especially, to produce meaningful methods, we should impose some constraints or rules on method assembly processes. In this paper, we propose a framework for hierarchical method modelling (meta-modelling) from three orthogonal dimensions: perspectives, abstraction and granularity. According to each dimension, methods and/or method fragments are hierarchically modelled and classified. Furthermore, we present a method assembly mechanism and its formalization as a set of rules. These rules are presented in first order predicate logic and play an important role in the assembly process of meaningful methods from existing method fragments. The benefit of our technique is illustrated by an example of method assembly, namely the integration of the Object Model and Harel's Statechart into Objectcharts.
Chapter PDF
Keywords
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
References
Ajisaka, T. The Software Quark Model: A Universal Model for CASE Repositories. In Journal of Information and Software Technology, 1996.
Brinkkemper, S., Method Engineering: Engineering of Information Systems Development Methods and Tools. In Journal of Information and Software Technology, 1996.
Coleman, F., Hayes, F. and Bear, S., Introducing Objectcharts or How to Use Statecharts on Object-Oriented Design. IEEE Trans Soft. Eng., Vol.18, No.1, pp.9–18, 1992.
DeMarco, T., Structured Analysis and System Specification, Yourdon Press, 1978.
Harel, D., Lachover, H., Naamad, A., Pnueli, A., Politi, M., Sherman, R. Shutull-Trauring, A. and Trakhtenbrot, M., STATEMATE: A Working Environment for the Development of Complex Reactive Systems. IEEE Trans. Soft. Eng., Vol.16, pp.403–414, 1990.
Harmsen, F., S. Brinkkemper, H. Oei, Situational Method Engineering for Information System Projects. In: Olle, T.W., and A.A. Verrijn Stuart (Eds.), Methods and Associated Tools for the Information Systems Life Cycle, Proceedings of the IFIP WG8.1 Working Conference CRIS ' 94, North-Holland, pp. 169–194, Amsterdam, 1994.
Harmsen, F. and S. Brinkkemper, Design and Implementation of a Method Base Management System for a Situational CASE Environment. In: Proceedings of the APSEC ' 95 Conference, IEEE Computer Society Press, Los Alamitos, CA, 1995.
Harmsen, F., and M. Saeki, Comparison of Four Method Engineering Languages. In: In: S. Brinkkemper, K. Lyytinen and R. Welke (Eds.), Method Engineering: Principles of Method Construction and Tool Support, Chapman & Hall, pp.209–231, 1996.
Harmsen, F., Situational Method Engineering. Moret Ernst & Young, 1997
Hoef, R. van de, and F. Harmsen, Quality Requirements for Situational Methods. In: Grosz, G. (Ed.), In Proceedings of the Sixth Workshop on the Next Generation of CASE Tools, JyvÄskylÄ, Finland, June 1995.
Katayama, T., A Hierarchical and Functional Software Process Description and Its Enaction. In: Proceedings of 11th Int. Conf. on Software Engineering. pp.-343–352, May 1989.
Klooster, M., S. Brinkkemper, F. Harmsen, and G. Wijers, Intranet Facilitated Knowledge Management: A Theory and Tool for Defining Situational Methods. In: A. Olive, J.A. Pastor (Eds.), Proceedings of CAiSE'97. Lecture Notes in Computer Science 1250, Springer Verlag, pp.303–317, 1997.
Nuseibeh, B., J Kramer and A. Finkelstein, Expressing the Relationship between Multiple View in Requirements Specification. In: Proceedings of 15th Int. Conf. on Software Engineering, Baltimore, IEEE Computer Society Press, pp. 187–197, 1993.
Olle, T.W., J. Hagelstein, I.G. MacDonald, C. Rolland, H.G. Sol, F.J.M. van Asssche, A.A. Verrijn-Stuart, Information Systems Methodologies — A Framework for Understanding, 2nd Edition, Addison-Wesley, 1991.
Rumbaugh, J., Object oriented modeling and design, Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, 1991.
Saeki, M., and K. Wen-yin, Specifying Software Specification and Design Methods. In: G. Wijers, S. Brinkkemper, T. Wasserman (Eds.), Proceedings of CAiSE'94, Lecture Notes in Computer Science 811, Springer Verlag, pp. 353–366, Berlin, 1994.
Slooten, K. van and B. Hodes, Characterizing IS Development Projects. In: S. Brinkkemper, K. Lyytinen and R. Welke (Eds.), Method Engineering: Principles of Method Construction and Tool Support, Chapman & Hall, pp.29–44, 1996
Song, X., A Framework for Understanding the Integration of Design Methodologies. In: ACM SIGSOFT Software Engineering Notes, Vol. 20, No. 1, pp. 46–54, 1995.
Sorenson, P.G., J.P. Tremblay, A.J. McAllister, The Metaview System for Many Specifications Environements. In IEEE Software, Vol.30, No.3, pp.30–38, 1988.
Ward,P., S. Mellor, Structured Development for Real-time Systems, Yourdon Press, 1985.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1998 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this paper
Cite this paper
Brinkkemper, S., Saeki, M., Harmsen, F. (1998). Assembly techniques for method engineering. In: Pernici, B., Thanos, C. (eds) Advanced Information Systems Engineering. CAiSE 1998. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 1413. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/BFb0054236
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BFb0054236
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-540-64556-6
Online ISBN: 978-3-540-69434-2
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive