Meta-modelling based assembly techniques for situational method engineering

Method engineering for information system development is the discipline to construct new advanced development methods from parts of existing methods, called method fragments. To achieve this objective, we need to clarify how to model the existing methods and how to assemble method fragments into new project-specific methods, so-called situational methods. Especially, to produce meaningful methods, we should impose some constraints or rules on method assembly processes. In this paper, we propose a framework for hierarchical method modelling (meta-modelling) from three orthogonal dimensions: perspectives, abstraction and granularity. According to each dimension, methods and/or method fragments are hierarchically modelled and classified. Furthermore, we present a method assembly mechanism and its formalization as a set of rules. These rules are both syntactic and semantic constraints and presented in first order predicate logic so that they can play an important role in the assembly process of syntactically and semantically meaningful methods from existing method fragments. The benefit of our technique is illustrated by an example of method assembly, namely the integration of the Object Model and Harel's Statechart into Objectcharts. (C) 1999 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.