FOOM - Functional and Object-Oriented Methodology for Analysis and Design of Information Systems

Abstract

FOOM is an integrated methodology for analysis and design of information systems, which combines the two essential software-engineering paradigms: the functional- (or process-) oriented approach and the object-oriented (OO) approach. In FOOM, system analysis includes both functional and data modeling activities, thereby producing both a functional model and a data model. These activities can be performed either by starting with functional analysis and continuing with data modeling, or vice versa. FOOM products of the analysis phase include: a) a hierarchy of OO-DFDs (object-oriented data flow diagrams), and b) an initial object schema, which can be created directly from the user requirements specification or from an entity-relationship diagram (ERD) that is mapped to that object schema. System design is performed according to the OO approach. The products of the design phase include: a) a complete object schema, consisting of the classes and their relationships, attributes, and method interfaces; b) object classes for the menus, forms and reports; and c) a behavior schema, which consists of detailed descriptions of the methods and the application transactions, expressed in pseudo-code and message diagrams. The seamless transition from analysis to design is attributed to ADISSA methodology, which facilitates the design of the menus, forms and reports classes, and the system behavior schema, from DFDs and the application transactions.