An Object model for engineering design

Applications requiring sophisticated modeling techniques raise challenging issues to software designers. CAD/CAM and genetics are example of applications that call for powerful modeling techniques. Existing approaches seem limited in their ability to supports their demands. Relational database systems for example support only simple tables. The need to enhance their capabilities led to non-normalized relational data models. Object-oriented programming languages and databases propose new solutions to the problem of complex and composite object modeling and manipulation. Yet, severe shortcomings impede their practicability, e.g., their inability to model multiple object representations and complex semantic relationships. This paper is an informal overview of a data model called SHOOD implements sophisticated features, such as : o object persistence, multi-methods along a specific specialization hierarchy (which is independent of the class hierarchy), o sophisticated semantic relationships, e.g., dependency relationships between objects (which are totally independent of the composition relationship), o multiple object representations, allowing the users to manipulate the objects from several points of views simultaneously, o the systematic use of a powerful meta-object kernel, which is used to implement a reflexive architecture. The paper focuses on the last two issues

Design of object processing systems

Object processing systems are met rather often in every day life, in industry, tourism, commerce, etc. When designing such a system, many problems can be posed and considered, depending on the scope and purpose of design. We give here a general approach which involves graph theory, and which can have many applications. The generation of possible designs for an object processing system, known as synthesis in the engineering field, is reduced to first solving a graph embedding problem. We believe that our model could be successful and relatively easily implemented in a software tool, called Smart Synthesis Tool, so that the engineering design process will perform quicker. We propose three types of graph transformations which aid the way an object processing system can be designed. Future work will show to which extent these transformation types suffice for generating most of the layouts of the object processing systems

Modeling an engineering design application using extended object-oriented concepts

This paper presents an approach to extend object-oriented data models, in which versions of an object are allowed to appear at different levels of an inheritance hierarchy, in contrast to the known approaches where they are admitted only at one leveI. This approach allows the design and instantiation of objects to beco me very natural, starting with the design of an object in a class and refining it, adding properties to the subclasses. Versions of objects can be defined in a subclass, having ascendant versions/objects associated to the superclasses. The paper also discusses how the extended model can be used to model engineering applications, fulfilling their requirements. The application is the STAR frarnework, which implements an innovative and flexible data model that allows the user to define an object schema for each design object. Design alternatives and views can be created during the design process and are represented in the object schema. Versioning appears in the STAR model not only for the real design data, but also for alternatives and views in the object schema. This requirement is not naturally modeled by the existing version models in object-oriented databases

A brief history of models and model based systems engineering and the case for relational orientation

Models are at the heart of science and engineering. Model-based approaches to software development and systems engineering use technologies to include graphical modeling languages, such as the Systems Modeling Language, that support system design and analysis through machine readable models. This paper traces key historical contributions of software and systems engineers over the past five decades to show a coherent concept of models and how they can be used for software and systems engineering. Recent model-based systems engineering methodologies supported by commercially available modeling tools are also summarized. Relational orientation is seen to be the underlying viewpoint that expresses and binds these approaches. Relational orientation for systems engineering (ROSE) is then specified using a general systems methodology. Systems are seen to access each other's models in ROSE much like classes in object orientation access each other's objects. Object-oriented frames for software engineering are extended to relational frames to specify an innovative framework for system design and analysis. This generalizes the axiomatic design approach of N. P. Suh. A repeatable procedure supporting greater concurrency between design and verification is also demonstrated for searching the solution space in linear axiomatic design

Functional Analysis and Object-Oriented Design- A Hybrid Methodology

We propose a methodology for information systems analysis and design which is a hybrid of two main streams in software engineering, the functional (or process-oriented) approach and the object-oriented (OO) approach. System analysis, which aims at eliciting and defining user requirements, continues to be carried out in the functional approach, utilizing data flow diagrams (DFD). System design, which aims at designing the software, is carried out in the OO approach, yielding an object model that consists of an object schema and a behavior schema (i.e., methods and messages). The transition from the functional model (in the analysis stage) to the OO model (in the design stage) is enabled by the use of ADISSA methodology, which facilitates design of the object schema from DFD data stores, and design of the behavior schema from transactions, which by themselves are derived from the DFDs

Developing Design Support System Based on Semantic of Design Model

AbstractA design support system is developed for engineering design based on the ontology which is declarative description conceptualized the world that agents (men and programs) focused on. The design process is understood as determining the design parameters and their relationships which consists the design model. The meta-model of design model is the ontology which represented as a network in the computer system using the XML. The design model is generated from the meta-model as class in Object oriented language . The system built with the above concept provides the following abilities, 1) declarative description that engineers intend to design, 2) effective entering data into Object oriented model, 3)semantic of design model which focused by numerical simulation and graphics programed with Java. Finally, the system's validity and effectiveness is ascertained by applying it to the basic design of an irrigation pipeline