There Are Two Discussions Here That Need To Be Respon 372058

There Are Two Discussions Here That Need To Be Responded To Thoroughly

There Are Two Discussions Here That Need To Be Responded To Thoroughly

The two discussion prompts require analysis of concept and object models as well as building models in software design. The first prompt involves providing examples of different object types—entity, association, agent, and event—and identifying which one closely resembles a conceptual object model, along with a rationale. It also asks for an examination of class diagrams, including identification and differentiation of entities, associations, attributes, and operations. The second prompt focuses on selecting heuristics for building an object model of an online banking system and identifying examples of composite objects within Blackboard, explaining their composite nature.

Paper For Above instruction

Understanding Conceptual and Object Models in System Design

System modeling is a foundational aspect of software engineering that helps developers visualize, analyze, and communicate system structure and behavior. In particular, conceptual and object models serve critical roles in designing systems by representing real-world entities and their interactions. Conceptual models focus on domain-related concepts, which are essential for understanding the system's core purpose and constraints, while object models translate these concepts into concrete classes, objects, and relationships ready for implementation.

Object Types and their Relation to Conceptual Models

Within the realm of object modeling, various object types are considered, including entity, association, agent, and event objects. An entity object exemplifies dormant, self-sufficient instances such as a customer or a bank account, which mainly hold static data pertinent to the business domain (Lamsweerde, 2009). An agent object is dynamic, possessing behaviors and state transitions, like a bank clerk processing transactions or an automated teller system conducting operations (Lamsweerde, 2009). Association objects depict relationships between other objects—for instance, a bank customer linked to multiple accounts—serving as connectors without their own independent existence (Lamsweerde, 2009). Event objects are transient, representing instantaneous occurrences like a user logging in or initiating a transaction (Lamsweerde, 2009). Among these, entity objects most closely mirror a conceptual object model because they embody the persistent, domain-related elements that the system aims to represent and manage comprehensively, aligning with the shared, recognizable features characteristic of conceptual objects (Lamsweerde, 2009).

Class Diagrams: Recognizing Entities, Associations, Attributes, and Operations

A class diagram provides a graphical depiction of system classes, their attributes, operations, and relationships. The key features include class names, properties (attributes), and methods (operations). In UML, class diagrams typically display class names at the top of each class box, with attributes in the middle section, and operations at the bottom. To differentiate entities from associations, one can look at whether a diagram component represents a standalone class with attributes and methods—indicating an entity—or a connector emphasizing relationships between classes, which signifies associations. Attributes describe the properties of classes, like customer name or account number, while operations define the behaviors, such as 'calculateInterest' or 'processWithdrawal'. Recognizing these features depends on terminology, notation, and diagram layout, which makes it straightforward to distinguish between entities, associations, attributes, and operations if UML conventions are followed.

Building an Object Model for an Online Banking System

Developing an object model for an online banking system involves careful consideration of several heuristics to ensure a comprehensive, accurate, and maintainable design. Heuristics like deriving objects from the goal model (H1) and associations from the goal model (H2) help align system classes with business objectives, ensuring relevance. Identifying attributes (H5), object types (H6), and specializations/generalizations (H10 and H11) supports creating a detailed hierarchy and categorization of classes. N-ary associations (H7) facilitate understanding complex relationships, such as joint accounts involving multiple parties. Attaching attributes to associations (H8) allows for capturing relationship-specific data, like transaction histories. Following these heuristics helps produce a robust model that accurately represents the banking domain, supports system extensibility, and simplifies maintenance (Lamsweerde, 2009).

Examples of Composite Objects in Blackboard

In Blackboard, a Learning Management System (LMS), several components are built as composite objects because they encompass multiple interconnected elements. Examples include:

  • Assignment and Grades: An assignment comprises details like the title, description, due date, and associated grades. Grades depend on the assignment, meaning if the assignment is deleted, the grades linked to it are also removed. This encapsulation illustrates a composite object because the grade cannot exist independently without the assignment.
  • Forum and Discussion Posts: A discussion forum contains multiple discussion posts. Each post cannot exist outside the context of a specific forum, as they are tightly coupled—the posts belong to and are managed within the forum structure. This relationship makes the forum and its posts a composite object.
  • Courses and Content: A course includes various content materials, such as lectures, reading materials, and multimedia resources. These content items are created within the scope of the course and do not exist independently. Removing the course implies removing all associated content, demonstrating the composite nature of the course and content objects.

These examples illustrate how composite objects in Blackboard encapsulate related components, reflecting real-world aggregations. Such design promotes modularity, data integrity, and ease of system management, aligning with object-oriented principles.

Conclusion

Understanding different object types and their relation to conceptual models enhances the capability to design effective systems. Recognizing features within class diagrams helps differentiate classes, attributes, and relationships, facilitating clearer model comprehension. Applying relevant heuristics ensures comprehensive system models that align with domain goals, while the identification of composite objects exemplifies object-oriented design in practical applications like Blackboard, reinforcing system robustness and maintainability.

References

  • Lamsweerde, A. van. (2009). Requirements engineering: From system goals to UML models to software specifications. West Sussex, England: John Wiley.
  • Object Management Group. (2015). Unified Modeling Language (UML) Specification. Version 2.5.1.
  • Rumbaugh, J., Jacobson, I., & Booch, G. (2004). The Unified Modeling Language Reference Manual (2nd ed.). Addison-Wesley.
  • Pressman, R. S. (2014). Software engineering: A practitioner's approach (8th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.
  • Booch, G. (2006). The Object-Oriented Thought Process (4th ed.). Addison-Wesley.
  • Fowler, M. (2004). UML Distilled: A Brief Guide to the Standard Object Modeling Language (3rd ed.). Addison-Wesley.
  • Ambler, S. (2002). The Object Primer: Agile Model-Driven Software Development. Cambridge University Press.
  • Schmidt, D. C. (2006). Model-Driven Engineering. IEEE Computer, 39(2), 25-31.
  • Hoffer, J. A., George, J. F., & Valacich, J. S. (2014). Modern Systems Analysis and Design (7th ed.). Pearson.
  • Martin, R. C. (2002). Agile Software Development, Principles, Patterns, and Practices. Prentice Hall.

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