Re: Shlaer-Mellor OOA/RD with Ada

[ralphh9@aol.com (RalphH9)]

The state of useage and support for Shlaer-Mellor has advanced
dramatically over the past 2 years, so the report on in '92 may be a
little dated.  Several things have changed.

First, new tools have been introduced by my company, Objective Spectrum,
call the BridgePoint family of products.   BridgePoint was built by a
group hlaer-Mellor practitioners frustrated with available tool support. 
The result is a tool set the defines Shlaer-Mellor automation.   Briefly,
BridgePoint Analyst supports OOA, per Shlaer-Mellor,  with SM notation and
preventative data checking.  Users say it helps teach the method. 
BridgePoint Sim allows early validation of model behavior through
interactive simulation.  BridgePoint Gen is a general purpose translation
engine that supports any target implementation architecture/language,
including ADA, through user defined templates.

Second, organizations are starting to automate their design architectures
with BridgePoint allowing for the power of regenerative software systems
to be realized.  Our customers are realizing 87% to 98% code generation
(and regeneration) with their custom built architectures.  The result is
faster design changes in software products, as well as reuseable design
architectures.  Only now, has the power the Shlaer-Mellor methodology been
realizable.

Third, commercial architecture builders are starting enter the
marketplace.  We know of one currently offering custom architecture
building, and we are working to create other architecture builders.  We
also expect to see "packaged" architectures be available on the
BridgePoint platform by year's end.

These three changes are changing  the attitude towards Shlaer-Mellor. 
Users who are employing the method and BridgePoint automation are
realizing REAL results.

If anybody is interested in learning more they can contact me directly.

Ralph Hibbs
Objective Spectrum
901 Kildaire Farm Road
Cary, NC 27511

voice: 919-460-1500
fax: 919-380-6463

email1: ralphH9@aol.com
email2: ralph.hibbs@objective.com