Syntropy
Encyclopedia
Syntropy is a second-generation object-oriented analysis and software design method developed at Object Designers Limited in the UK during the early 1990s. The goal in developing Syntropy was to provide a set of modelling techniques that would allow precise specification and would keep separate different areas of concern. The approach was to take established techniques, as found in methods such as the Object-modeling technique
and Booch method
, and reposition and refine them. In recognition that graphical notations were much favoured by the market but lacked rigour, Syntropy adopted ideas from formal specification languages, specifically Z notation
, to provide tools for both precise definition of the graphical notations and for the construction of richer models than are possible with pictures alone.
Although development on the Syntropy method stopped some years ago, many of its ideas were subsequently incorporated in the Unified Modeling Language
, in the Catalysis software design method
, and in other development processes. In particular, Syntropy is a direct ancestor of the Object Constraint Language
that forms an integral part of the Unified Modeling Language
.
Object-modeling technique
The object-modeling technique is an object modeling language for software modeling and designing. It was developed around 1991 by Rumbaugh, Blaha, Premerlani, Eddy and Lorensen as a method to develop object-oriented systems and to support object-oriented programming.OMT was developed as an...
and Booch method
Booch method
The Booch method is a technique used in software engineering. It is an object modeling language and methodology that was widely used in object-oriented analysis and design...
, and reposition and refine them. In recognition that graphical notations were much favoured by the market but lacked rigour, Syntropy adopted ideas from formal specification languages, specifically Z notation
Z notation
The Z notation , named after Zermelo–Fraenkel set theory, is a formal specification language used for describing and modelling computing systems. It is targeted at the clear specification of computer programs and computer-based systems in general.-History:...
, to provide tools for both precise definition of the graphical notations and for the construction of richer models than are possible with pictures alone.
Although development on the Syntropy method stopped some years ago, many of its ideas were subsequently incorporated in the Unified Modeling Language
Unified Modeling Language
Unified Modeling Language is a standardized general-purpose modeling language in the field of object-oriented software engineering. The standard is managed, and was created, by the Object Management Group...
, in the Catalysis software design method
Catalysis software design method
Catalysis is a method for the specification and design of component-based computer systems originally developed by Desmond D’Souza and Alan Cameron Wills in their 1999 book. It shows how to make precise abstractions, and emphasizes the formal specification of use cases using pre- and postconditions...
, and in other development processes. In particular, Syntropy is a direct ancestor of the Object Constraint Language
Object Constraint Language
The Object Constraint Language is a declarative language for describing rules that apply to Unified Modeling Language models developed at IBM and now part of the UML standard. Initially, OCL was only a formal specification language extension to UML. OCL may now be used with any Meta-Object...
that forms an integral part of the Unified Modeling Language
Unified Modeling Language
Unified Modeling Language is a standardized general-purpose modeling language in the field of object-oriented software engineering. The standard is managed, and was created, by the Object Management Group...
.
See also
- Model-driven architectureModel-driven architectureModel-driven architecture is a software design approach for the development of software systems. It provides a set of guidelines for the structuring of specifications, which are expressed as models. Model-driven architecture is a kind of domain engineering, and supports model-driven engineering of...
(MDA is an OMG Trademark), (MDE is not an OMG Trademark) - OCLOCLThe initialism OCL can have several meanings, depending on context:*OCl−, the hypochlorite ion, in chemistry*Object Constraint Language*Ocean Climate Laboratory *Ocean County Library*Old Colony League, a high school sports league in Massachusetts...
- Object-oriented analysis and designObject-oriented analysis and designObject-oriented analysis and design is a software engineering approach that models a system as a group of interacting objects. Each object represents some entity of interest in the system being modeled, and is characterised by its class, its state , and its behavior...
(OOAD)