Object-oriented role analysis and modeling

Object-oriented role analysis and modeling (OOram) is a method, based on the concept of role, for performing object-oriented modeling.^[1]

Originally (1989) coined Object Oriented Role Analysis, Synthesis and Structuring (OORASS), the method focuses on describing patterns of interaction without connecting the interaction to particular objects/instances. OOram was originally developed by Trygve Reenskaug (1996), a professor at the University of Oslo and the founder of the Norwegian IT company Taskon. The use of "roles" in OOram is similar in application to that of agent-oriented programming.

Enterprise models created according to OOram may have a number of views, with each view presenting certain aspects of a model.^[2] The following ten views are proposed:^[3]

1. Area of concern view: Textual description of a phenomenon represented in the role model.
2. Stimulus-response view: Describes how environment roles may trigger activities in the organization (stimulus), together with the effect (response).
3. Role list view: List describing all roles of a role model together with attributes and textual explanation.
4. Semantic view: Describes meaning of roles and relationships between roles.
5. Collaboration view: Describes patterns of roles and message paths.
6. Interface view: Describes all messages that can be sent along a message path.
7. Scenario view: Provides a sample sequence of messages flowing between roles (a concrete example).
8. Process view: Describes data flow between roles and associated activities performed by the roles.
9. State diagram view: For each role, the legal states can be described together with messages that trigger transitions.
10. Method specification view: Describes what messages to send for each method belonging to a role. May also specify procedures to perform.

OOram suggests a varied mix of formal and informal notations and languages for representing and communicating models. Which view to use depends upon the needs in a particular situation.^[2]

See also

• Object modeling language
• View model
• Unified modeling language
• i*

References

1. Reenskaug, Trygve (1996). "Working with Objects: OOram Framework Design Principles" (PDF). Taskon, Norway. (Presented at OOPSLA 1996 Workshop: Exploration of Framework Design Principles)
2. Terje Totland (1997). 5.2.8 Object-Oriented role analysis and modeling (OOram) Thesis, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim.
3. (Reenskaug, 1996:60)

Further reading

• Reenskaug, Trygve; P. Wold; O. A. Lehne (1996). Working with Objects: The OOram Software Engineering Method. Manning/Prentice Hall.
• Rebecca J. Wirfs-Brock and Ralph E. Johnson (1990). Surveying Current Research in Object-Oriented Design. Communications of the ACM, vol. 33, no. 9 (September 1990), pp. 105–124. OORASS on pp. 113–116.