From: A.H.Al_ashaab@lut.ac.uk (AH Al_ashaab) 
Subject: the Conceptual and the Implemntation work
Reply-To: A.H.Al_ashaab@lut.ac.uk (AH Al_ashaab)
Organization: Loughborough University, UK.
Date: Tue, 8 Sep 92 11:20:45 GMT

     _______________________________________________
    |    Information Models			    |
    |						    |
    |  _______________	    ______________________  |
    |  |	 	    |	                  | |
    |  | Product Model |<-->| Manufacturing Model | |
    |  |               |    |		          | |
    |  |_______________|    |_____________________| |
    |	     /\		        /\	            |<===>Designer
    | 	     ||                 ||	            |   |
    |	     \/                 \/	            |   |
    |       |----------------------------|	    |   |
    |       | Engineering Database       |	    |   |
    |       |____________________________|	    |   |
    |_______________________________________________|   |
	     /\		               /\		|	
	     ||                        ||		|	
             \/                        \/               |
    |____________________________________________|      |
    |Function Modules			         |	|	
    |          DesignFor   MachineRequirment     |<-----|
    |         Mouldability    Calculations       |		      
    |--------------------------------------------|

after I finish my conceptual work of my research, I started my OOD using
Booch methodology (for no specific reason I chosse this OOM BUT may be 
becuase the nice stile of his book). Then after a while I started to feel 
that there is no clear link or matching or bridge between my Conceptual
work and the Implementation work!

the sketch give an idea about my conceptual work which represent a system
that provide a designer, of injection moulded Products, with a wide range
of information covering both the functional requirements of the product
(captured in the Product Model) and the manufacturing capabilities and 
constraints of the processes (captured in the Manufacturing Model) which 
may be used in manufacture. The Function Modules provide  the required
design analysis functions such as Design For Mouldability and Machine
Requirement Calculations which give an advise to the designer about product
mouldability and provides information for mould design and the suitable 
injection machine to be used in the production.

The main task of my implementation work (I am using LOOPS Xerox Product)
is building the Manufacturing Model and the Function Modules, providing that
the required information from the Product Model will be the input to the
system by the end user.such as the dimensions & the product features.
What I found that the functions in the Function Modules are split into small
methods attached to the classes of the Manufacturing Model (which mainly
consist of features mouldability, mould and machine) and that because 

* it is no good to define a FUNCTION as CLASS if I can define it as a 
  METHOD in a CLASS.
* if I define function as class I found that I need to repeat some of 
  the same data that has been already define in another class.

The main problem of that is the functions in the Function Modules should
be independent of the content of the Manufacturing Model so if this manuf.
model has to be change, modify or updated the Function Modules should
not be changed.

I do not no the problem exactly (IF THERE IS ANY!),
Is it becuase I misunderstanding the Object Oriented Technique?
Is it becuase I misunderstanding Booch methodology?
Is what I am doing correct, and this the way in using OOT?
Is it my conceptual work is wrong and has to be change?
Is it my implementation is wrong and has to be change?

I really appreciate any help hint or advise. I am sure these sort of 
problems facing many beginner in the area of OOP.

Thanks in advance and I am sorry for the long message I just only could
explain the problem in this way!

Ahmed AL-ASHAAB
Manuf. Eng Dept., Loughborough Univ of Tech
Loughborough, Leics LE11 3TU, England.
EMail : A.H.Al_ashaab@lut.ac.uk  OR     ahmed@mansun.lut.ac.uk
Tel 0509-263171 Ext. 4247       Fax. 0509-267725	




Xref: sparky comp.object:3431 comp.lang.eiffel:1111 comp.lang.smalltalk:1775