Re: Interesting but sensitive topic to discuss (HELP: - OOP and CASE tools)

[pcg@aber.ac.uk (Piercarlo Grandi)]

>>> "menio" == Anthony Menio <menio@pegasus.montclair.edu> writes:

menio> On 11 Nov 1996 > 

piercarl> Yes, but what's the relevance of this to the question of
piercarl> whether "OO programs are systems of interacting **objects**"
piercarl> rather than systems of modules (either classes or prototypes
piercarl> or actors) that ``contain'' procedures that invoke each other?

piercarl> Do OO programs by and large describe static relationships
piercarl> between modules (or parts thereof like interfaces)? Or do they
piercarl> describe collections of instances/clones of those modules (or
piercarl> their types) and how they interact?

menio> I think the answer to this can be found in the analysis model.
menio> The analysis model descibes the objects that will be existance
menio> during the systems existance. In this model and thus the
menio> functioning system your interested in definate articals ie actual
menio> entities not classes of entities(ie currentProcess, ActiveWindow,
menio> nextTransaction, rather than definitions of the types which these
menio> are instances of) . The relationships expressed are dynamic ones
menio> as the effects of the messaging between these objects will be
menio> related to thier state.

According to your argument, which has already been seen in slightly
different guises, if a bank has a customer list application, then the
analysis model will describe N million objects if the bank has N million
customers. If the bank acquires a new customer, or loses a customer,
then the analysis model will have to be revised, for the "objects that
will be in existance during the system existance" will have changed.

"think before you leap"...