An Event-based framework for object-oriented analysis, computation of metrics and identification of test scenarios

Abstract

Software projects are inherently complex, risky and require careful planning. Inadequate planning and specifications, ill defined requirements, poor process of requirement analysis and testing, lack of metrics and measures to compute project’s sheer size and complexity, all together lead to numerous change requests, delays, significant added costs and increases the possibility of errors. But it is also a fact that software failures for the most part are predictable and avoidable by using a good requirement analysis method, proper management of software complexity and proper testing techniques. The entire work in this thesis focuses on these three factors to avoid software failures. Currently, Object-Oriented Analysis is the most popular method for analysis of requirements. In Object-Oriented Analysis, various techniques have been proposed that either use Natural language processing approaches or employ Use cases to identify classes. Natural language based approaches have their own inherent limitations and several critical reviews have been done on Use case based approaches. It has been iterated that event thinking is equally important way of modeling a system. At the same time there are supporting facts that event modeling introduces rigor and discipline in the Use Case modeling by helping to determine list of Use Cases. So, work has been done in this thesis to use events to develop an alternate method for Object-Oriented Analysis of requirements, for measuring complexity of a system, to generate event sequence-based test scenarios and test cases and to specify and model changes in software requirements either in terms of addition and/or modification of events or event interdependencies. All these contributions are integrated under a single event-based framework. This framework addresses the requirements analysis, design, modeling, program construction, testing, and support activities of a typical software engineering process.