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==Definitions==
==History==
OPM was founded by Dov Dori, researcher at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology. Dori published his book "Object-Process Methodology - A Holistics System Paradigm" in 2002, published by Springer.
The common language [[UML]] for modeling mainly software systems was in need of a new and simplified approach to model not only software systems, but information systems as well. This is why OPM was created. OPM intends to answer to the growing complexity in software systems and focusses on lifecycle support as well.
==Elements==
OPM has uses two types of elements: '''entities''' and '''links'''. Entities are used to express 'physical' elements in a system.
The entities used in OPM are '''objects''', '''states''' and '''processes'''.
An object is a thing existing in the system which exists for a set time.
A state is a situation an object can be in.
A process is a thing that transforms an object (alters the state of the object).
The links used in OPM are '''structural links''' and '''procedural links'''.
A structural link forms a relation between two objects and is persistent.
A procedural link is used to link an object to a process and indicates a change in the state of the object.
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==Links==
The table below indicates the aggregation of the different links and gives a short explanation per link.
[[Image:OPM-Links.gif]]
==Cardinality==
OPM knows cardinality constraining, meaning a way to indicate to what extent 2 objects can relate to each other. In OPM these constraints are called participation constraints.
Example: 1 man can marry 1 woman. The constraining makes this a 1 to 1 relation.
Constraining can be formulated like:
1 tot 1
1 to many
1 to fixed number
many to many
fixed number to fixed number
Optional (expressed as: ?)
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The OPD treats complexity by using three refinement and abstraction mechanisms:
Folding and Unfolding
State expression and suppression
Having only one diagram, this methodology knows no multiplicity in depicting objects and processes, which improves exchangeability between different diagrams and even different methods.
==Object Process Language==
Another feature of the Object Process Methodology is the '''Object Process Language'''.
An OPD can be translated in sentences, telling the storyline of the diagram.
The power of OPL lies in the fact that it is readable by humans but also interpretable by computers, thus making it an inter-exchangeable language.
==Object-Process Case Tool==
Modeling through OPM is possible with a specialized tool called Object-Process Case Tool. The latest version of this tool is called OPCat2 and can be downloaded from www.objectprocess.org.
The application has several strong features, which are listed below.
Syntax checking
The creator of an OPD is immediately warned when an illegal OPD construction is being crated. The application refers to the issue and explains the error.
OPL generator
Modeling an OPD automatically creates the corresponding natural text, formatted in OPL. This way, the creator can use the generated OPL additionally to check his work during the composition of the model.
Exchangeability with UML
The application ahs the possibility to export an OPD to many UML diagrams, namely:
Use Case Diagram
Sequence Diagram
Statechart
Class Diagram
Deployment Diagram
Activity Diagram
==Object Process Diagram example: Marriage==
The example below demonstrates the modeling of the concept marriage in an OPD.
[[Image:OPD-Marriage.gif]]
This example indicates how the states of the objects man and woman can transform from being single to being married by the process called marrying.
The result/consumption link takes the status single of the objects man and woman through the process marrying to the state married.
The process forms the object couple, which consists of the objects man and woman.
The object couple has the object wedding date as a characterization through a exhibition-characterization link.
John is a man and Jane is a woman, due to the generalization-specialization link.
==Object Process Language example: Marriage==
As a result of the previous example, the object-process case tool created the OPL data that corresponds with the OPD. The OPL is given below.
[[Image:OPL-Marriage.gif]]
The examples explains itself. The colors of the text correspond with the elements in the OPD example.
==Object Process Methodology Meta-Model==
The model below represents the meta-model of an OPD.
The simplicity of the model reflects the simplicity of the OPD itself.
[[Image:OPM-Metamodel.gif]]
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