The reason why I named this message my BIG question is that this issue has been bothering me for years. It�s only recently that I�ve understood the issue fully enough to be able to make an argument for either side of the question.
This question comes about as a result of me trying to integrate a Shlaer/Mellor type process into UML modeling tools (Rational Rose to be specific, which is why I am posting this to both the OTUG and Rose forums). [If you are not familiar with S/M or if you want to see what S/M looks like when implemented on Rose, take a look at: http://home1.gte.net/res0hbt4/html/Process.htm where I give a very simple example of a system design in Rose, but using a S/M type process to analyze the requirements.] Let me start phrasing my question by giving a possible solution to my problem. Answer: �All class operations should be private to the class that implements those operations, no class should be able to directly access the operations of another class.� [Is this a radical statement, or have I just re-stated something that is already well known in the OO world?] I�m going to assume that this is a conclusion that most OO programmers would not agree with, so I�m going to have to put forward some pretty strong arguments to justify this statement. My arguments are based on the knowledge that my background is Shlaer/Mellor and that S/M is a process that was derived topdown, as apposed to something like Booch or Rumbaugh whose methods were driven by existing OO programming languages (C++ in the case of Booch, for example). My problem first arose when I came across the need to draw sequence diagrams in Rational Rose. In the S/M method there is a diagram called the OCD that is used to show the external event flows between classes and �actors�. This diagram is not supported by the UML, but I figured that I could use the sequence and collaboration diagrams supported by Rose to derive the OCD. [See http://home1.gte.net/res0hbt4/documents/requirementsprocessappc. pdf for a process description of how to go about this.] I want to use the sequence diagram to show the events passing between a class and its interfacing classes/actors. When I draw a line between two instances on a Rose sequence diagram and right-click the line to bring up a menu, the menu includes a list of the operations that are part of the class instance into which the �event� line is heading. The reason for this had me confused for a very long time. Since then, I have become more familiar with OO languages such as Java and I now understand that the reason for the operations list is that this how one class communicates with another � by making a call to that classes operations. Although I understand why, it doesn�t help me with my problem, which is that when I right-click an event flow entering a class instance, I want to see a list of the events that enter that classes state/activity model. (UML supports event flows between instances on sequence diagrams, so why is the support for this so lacking in Rose?) So now you understand the origin of my problem you may be saying to yourself, 'how did I reach such a radical conclusion as to make the statement at the beginning of this composition?' Well I got thinking about how I could take advantage of the fact that I get a list of operations, in a menu, on my sequence diagram, perhaps by listing events entering the class as operations, but somehow marking them with an <<event>> stereotype. (Actually I posted this question to OTUG about a year ago and someone replied with a similar suggestion, so I can�t take all the credit.) Now I have the problem that I have my events listed in two places, the state/activity model and the class specification, and I have to do more than twice as much work in order maintain them in both places. So then I got to thinking �why do I need to have my class operations listed in my class anyway?� In S/M the only way to execute an operation is to generate an event. So if my �Car� class needs to make the associated �Wheel� class instances rotate in order to move forward, my �Car� will send an event to my �Engine� called �MoveForward� and my �Engine� class will run the appropriate operations and send the appropriate events, in order to make the wheels move forward. My �Car� class does not know what these operations are, nor does it care so long as the car moves forward. Then I got thinking about a more complicated example, where the same event can cause different operations to execute dependent upon the state that the system is in. Consider that I have a �Worker� class that interfaces to a �Foreman� class. Now the �Foreman� is responsible for ensuring that the �Worker� takes the appropriate breaks at the appropriate time, but the �Foreman� is not responsible for knowing what the �Worker� is doing during those breaks, that�s up to the �Worker�. So the �Foreman� sends a �TakeBreak� event to the �Worker� after every 4 hours of work. Now the �Worker� responds to this event by having a drink and food. Depending upon the time of day that this event is received the �Worker� will execute three different operations. If it received in the morning the worker will execute �HaveBreakfast�, in the afternoon �HaveLunch� and in the evening �HaveSupper� (or �HaveTea� if he�s an English worker :-) ). So the �Foreman� can send the same event to trigger three different operations. The foreman doesn�t need to know, nor does he care, what the �Worker� is eating only that the �Worker� takes the appropriate breaks. The �Worker� can change his schedule and if he decides he wants tea in the morning one day and coffee in the morning the next, he can change without interfering with anyone else. So my question is, �If I have a class communication scheme that only allows classes to communicate via calls to public operations, how do I implement the �Foreman�-�Worker� scenario described above?� In fact I would go so far as to suggest that any operations that are implemented by the �Worker� are the workers business alone, and as such should be hidden from the �Foreman�. If the �Foreman� needs to know of an operation that affects the �Worker� then there should be a �Foreman� operation that sends the required events to the �Worker� in order for the worker to carry out the desired operations. By now you�ve probably guessed that I�ve never written one class of OO code, so I�m probably ignorant of lots of good reasons why a �Workers� operations could need to be made public. My question is, please put me out of my misery and tell me what these reasons are. Thank you for reading this far, if you did. Les. ________________________________________________ Get your own "800" number Voicemail, fax, email, and a lot more http://www.ureach.com/reg/tag ************************************************************************ * Rose Forum is a public venue for ideas and discussions. * For technical support, visit http://www.rational.com/support * * Admin.Subscription Requests: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Archive of messages: http://www.rational.com/support/usergroups/rose/rose_forum.jsp * Other Requests: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * * To unsubscribe from the list, please send email * * To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Subject:<BLANK> * Body: unsubscribe rose_forum * *************************************************************************
