Research goals

1. Research Focus: Metamodeling (Meta)

The goal of the MetaPHOR group is to develop method engineering frameworks and tools i.e. theoretical notions, notations and tools that help in modeling methods and their uses so that they can be flexibly implemented in a CASE shell.

2. Principles of metamodeling (P)

We aim to develop, implement and test a set of principles that will provide a basis for developing a sound approach to computer-aided method engineering. Principles deal with addressing the versatile needs for data representation in CASE and the support of all requirements that are necessary for data storage, transfer and representation in an environment that allows for multiple simultaneous representation paradigms. Such requirements deal with 1) data requirements related to use of a single method, 2) data requirements related to multiple connected methods, 3) data requirements related to usage/users of the data (IS developer groups).

We have developed a powerful metamodeling notation GOPRR to cater for requirements 1) and 2), and have considerably refined different method integration mechanisms including the explosion constructor, object and property sharing mechanisms and polymorphism in the data model. In relation to 3) we have developed enactable process modeling languages and are currently expanding them to actor and user-related languages.

3. Emerging technologies for metamodeling: Hypertext (H)

Our goal is to examine what mechanisms can embed hypertext technology into metaCASE environments in a user-friendly manner. Such technology can considerably improve the groupwork support of CASE environments (CSCW features) and thereby increase their modeling transparency.

4. Approaches to metamodeling: Object-orientation (O)

Our goal is to develop modeling languages that can help develop complete and consistent IS representations to be stored in the repository. The expanded language constructs that cater for these needs deal with complex objects and hierarchical relationships, inheritance with polymorphism, and the incorporation of both data and behavior abstraction in the GOPRR model.

5. Design of Repository Management (R)

The goals in designing repository support have been threefold. First, we expect the environments to symmetrically support management of metamodels alongside management of IS models. A second goal is to make the contents of the repository accessible through a high level GOPRR protocol and thereby to allow for the reuse of all repository objects. Our third goal is to enhance the functionality found in metaCASE repositories. We expect the repository to be able to store and manipulate all repository objects in a multi-user environment. It applies combined optimistic and pessimistic concurrency control, multi-level granularity in setting and releasing locks and provides several run-time mechanisms for method integration and object integrity both horizontally and vertically. 


MetaPHOR Home Page
Pages created by Steven Kelly. Last update July 5, 1999 by Jouni Huotari.