AUTOMATING SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT PRODUCTIVITY METRICS

Measurement of software development productivity is needed in order to control software costs, but it is discouragingly labor-intensive and expensive. Computer aided software engineering (CASE) technologies -- especially object-oriented, integrated CASE -- have the potential to support the automation of this measurement. In this paper, we describe automated analyzers for function point and code reuse measurement. Both analyzers take advantage of the existence of a meta-model of the application system, stored within an object repository, which contains the necessary information about the application system. We also propose new metrics for code reuse analysis, including reuse leverage, reuse value and reuse classification. The state-of-the-art automated software metrics analyzers are illustrated in the context of an investment banking industry application.Information Systems Working Papers Serie

AUTOMATING OUTPUT SIZE AND REUSABILITY METRICS IN AN OBJECT-BASED COMPUTER AIDED SOFTWARE ENGINEERING (CASE) ENVIRONMENT

Measurement of software development productivity is needed in order to control software costs, but it is discouragingly labor-intensive and expensive. Computer aided software engineering (CASE) technologies -- especially object-oriented, integrated CASE -- have the potential to support the automation of this measurement. In this paper, we discuss the conceptual development of automated analyzers for function point and software reusability measurement for object-based CASE. Both analyzers take advantage of the existence of a representation of the application system that is stored within an object repository, and that contains the necessary information about the application system. We also propose new metrics for software reusability measurement, including reuse leverage, reuse value and reuse classification. The functionality and analytic capabilities of state-of-the-art automated software metrics analyzers are illustrated in the context of an investment banking industry application.Information Systems Working Papers Serie

AUTOMATING OUTPUT SIZE AND REUSABILITY METRICS IN AN OBJECT-BASED COMPUTER AIDED SOFTWARE ENGINEERING (CASE) ENVIRONMENT

Measurement of software development productivity is needed in order to control software costs, but it is discouragingly labor-intensive and expensive. Computer aided software engineering (CASE) technologies -- especially object-oriented, integrated CASE -- have the potential to support the automation of this measurement. In this paper, we discuss the conceptual development of automated analyzers for function point and software reusability measurement for object-based CASE. Both analyzers take advantage of the existence of a representation of the application system that is stored within an object repository, and that contains the necessary information about the application system. We also propose new metrics for software reusability measurement, including reuse leverage, reuse value and reuse classification. The functionality and analytic capabilities of state-of-the-art automated software metrics analyzers are illustrated in the context of an investment banking industry application.Information Systems Working Papers Serie

Measuring the Impact of Reuse on Quality and Productivity in Object-Oriented Systems

This paper presents the results of a study conducted at the University of Maryland in which we assessed the impact of reuse on quality and productivity in OO systems. Reuse is assumed to be a very effective strategy for software industry to build high-quality software. However, there is currently very little empirical information about what we can expect from reuse in terms of productivity and quality gains. This also applies to OO development which is supposed to facilitate reuse. Our experiment is one step towards a better understanding of the benefits of reuse in an OO framework, considering currently available technology. Data was collected, for four months, on the development of eight medium-size management information systems with equivalent requirements. All eight projects were developed using the Waterfall Software Engineering Life Cycle Model, an Object-Oriented (OO) design method and the C++ programming language. This study indicates significant benefits from reuse in terms of reduced defect density and rework as well as increased productivity. (Also cross-referenced as UMIACS-TR-95-2

A Mechanism For Converting A Relational Database Into An Object-Oriented Model: An AIS Application

The object-oriented (OO) approach in system design and development is gaining popularity.  In the management information systems literature, OO system development is viewed as superior to conventional systems development because of advantages such as easier modeling, more efficient model reuse, and more convenient maintenance (Booch 1994; Briand, et al. 1999; Coleman, et al. 1994; Cockburn 1999).  Several studies have explored the applicability of the OO paradigm for the design and implementation of accounting information systems (AIS) and the advantages of OO design for this purpose (Adamson and Dilts 1995, Chu 1992a, 1992b; Kandelin and Lin 1992; Murthy and Wiggins 1993; Verdaasdonk 2003).  Nevertheless, OO techniques are often applied only to front-end applications while a relational database is generally used to store data at the back-end.  Based on an existing relational database model for a retail enterprise, this paper contributes to the AIS literature by providing a mechanism for transforming a relational database into an OO data model.

TUTORIAL 2 AN INTRODUCTION TO THE OBJECT PARADIGM AND OBJECT-ORIENTED SYSTEMS

Object-oriented is one of the key phrases of the decade. The object paradigm has been variously billed as everything from a great revolution, how we will build the information systems of the future to an evolution, not a revolution to much ado about nothing. Companies are admonished to go 00 or be left behind as their competitors gain an advantage by building 00 systems. 7\u27he tutorial will provide a basic understanding of the object paradigm and of object-oriented (00) systems for those with little or no familiarity with them. The tutorial will begin wilh a small example to introduce the principle concepts of the paradigm in a specific setting, and to give a sense of what an 00 system is and how it runs. l\u27he concepts will include abstraction; classes, instances, and objects: methods, messages, and polymorphism; generalization, specialization, and inheritance; aggregation; (other) associations; and encapsulation and data hiding. As we examine the implementation of the example, we will be looking for answers to the queslions Where is the program? How does il work? How does il stan? We will see also some of the differenccs between a structured program and an 00 one. Next we will examine the process of creating an 00 system. The 00 life cycle is generally considered to be a prototyping-like process involving repeated cycles through modeling and implementation. Modeling involves 00 analysis and logical design. implementation involves physical design and 00 programming. The principle boundary in the process is between modeling and implementation. Two of the alleged strengths of the paradigm are the blurring between analysis and logical design in modeling and the reduced gap (compared to traditional structured approaches) between modeling and implementation. We will look at a framework for classifying the various modeling tools (e.1., object diagrams and state transition diagrams) with some examples from our earlier problem. Of course, 00 systems don\u27t build themselves. So next we will spend a few minutes discussing the management of 00 projects because Lhe best technology and ideas won\u27t help much if you can\u27t get them inlo practice. Reuse has become to some people the key concept and promise of the object paradigm. Reuse is supposed to reduce development time, eliminate bugs, improve quality, etc. We will briefly examine some types of reuse and offer some comments on these claims. Finally. as you might expect, a topic as hot as the object pan,digm is generating a great deal of research, both applied and theoretical. Time permitting, we will identify some current key research areas. A list of definitions and a selected reading list will be available at the tutorial. The example system will be available from the speaker

RE-ARCHITECTING AND RE-ENGINEERING TRADING AND TREASURY SYSTEMS IN THE MERGER OF CHEMICAL BANK AND MANUFACTURERS HANOVER TRUST -- An Interview with Brian Slater, Vice-President, Chemical Bank

This chapter presents an edited transcript of an interview held in August 1993 with Brian Slater, a vice-president in the Global Bank at Chemical Bank. Slater is responsible for the firm's U.S.-based trading and global risk management systems. The interview was conducted in the context of Project 1990s -- the U.S. Council for International Banking's Study on Information Technology Investment and International Banking Performance. The purpose of the discussion was to develop background information on the issues the bank's senior management team faced in merging the trading and treasury functions of Chemical Bank and Manufacturers Hanover Trust. The new Global Bank faces challenges in the areas of global risk management, cost-effective delivery of in formation technology-based products, trading infrastructure application functionality gaps, and human resource management that can be best addressed by a shift to a new paradigm for trading and treasury application software development: reuse of object-oriented representations of the bank's systems. We now turn to the details of the discussion that develops these themes.Information Systems Working Papers Serie

Pattern Reification as the Basis for Description-Driven Systems

One of the main factors driving object-oriented software development for information systems is the requirement for systems to be tolerant to change. To address this issue in designing systems, this paper proposes a pattern-based, object-oriented, description-driven system (DDS) architecture as an extension to the standard UML four-layer meta-model. A DDS architecture is proposed in which aspects of both static and dynamic systems behavior can be captured via descriptive models and meta-models. The proposed architecture embodies four main elements - firstly, the adoption of a multi-layered meta-modeling architecture and reflective meta-level architecture, secondly the identification of four data modeling relationships that can be made explicit such that they can be modified dynamically, thirdly the identification of five design patterns which have emerged from practice and have proved essential in providing reusable building blocks for data management, and fourthly the encoding of the structural properties of the five design patterns by means of one fundamental pattern, the Graph pattern. A practical example of this philosophy, the CRISTAL project, is used to demonstrate the use of description-driven data objects to handle system evolution.Comment: 20 pages, 10 figure