The course presents the IDEA Methodology, a novel methodology for the development of information systems. The IDEA Methodology addresses the analysis, design, prototyping, and implementation of database applications, with a special focus on the use of advancedfeatures of database technology, and specifically of object orientation, deductive rules, and active rules (triggers). The distinguishing approach of the IDEA Methodology is the emphasis on KNODWLEDGE INDE PENDENCE; by this term, we indicate the ability ofextracting semantic knowledge from applications, normally encoded in aprocedural format (programs), and placing it into the database schema,encoded declaratively in the form of objects, methods, and rules; in this way, knowledge is system-enforced, shared by all applications,and can be maintained and evolve more easily. An integrated tool environment, developed at the Politecnico diMilano, supports the various phases of the IDEA Methodology, withspecial emphasis on active rules. The IDEA tools assist schema design,active rule generation, rule analysis, application prototyping, debugging, browsing, and the mapping active rule applications from the IDEA design language Chimera into Oracle (Version 7.2), a popular commercial relational product supporting triggers. These tools will be demonstrated during the tutorial.
The IDEA methodology is described in the book "Designing database applications with objects and rules: The IDEA Methodology", that will be published by Addison-Wesley in the begginning of 1997 (most likely it will be available at the time of the tutorial). It is also described in a number of recent publications, listed below. The IDEA methodology official Web site can be seen at URL http:// www.elet.polimi.it/idea. In addition, by time of the tutorial, two additional initiatives will be completed: the IDEA WEB LAB, an Internet site featuring a JAVA implementation of the IDEA design environment (now under development at URL http://www.txt.it:5858); and the IDEA CD-ROM, a multimedia tutorial of the methodology.
The IDEA Methodology is one of the main results of the IDEA project, a four-year Esprit Project sponsored by the EC with academic, research, and industrial partners from six countries. Several case studies and experiences of use by the industrial partners have influenced the development of the methodology. The proposed tutorial will feature an extensive tour of the IDEA Methodology and its supporting environment and initiatives.
The following topics will be covered:
INTENDED AUDIENCE
The tutorial is addressed to students, researchers, system analysts,designers, and implementors. The tutorial is designed so as to attract the interest of a large community of people (both from industry and from academia) which are looking forward to applying new design abstractions, relative to object and rule-based approaches, in the context of current database technology.
CLASSWARE
The course may include a class project to be developed by attendees
with the CASE Tools supplementing the IDEA Methodology. The typicalproject
consist in developing an small application from requirements analysis to
implementation in Oracle according to the IDEA process. The following topics
will be covered:
INTRODUCTION AND MOTIVATION
OVERVIEW OF THE IDEA METHODOLOGY
PRESENTATION OF A CASE STUDY THE IDEA MODELS:
THE OBJECT MODEL
THE DYNAMIC MODEL
THE CHIMERA MODEL AND LANGUAGE
THE IDEA PROCESS
ANALYSIS
DESIGN
SCHEMA DESIGN
ACTIVE & DEDUCTIVE RULE DESIGN
PROTOTYPING & VERIFICATION RULE ANALYSIS
IMPLEMENTATION
THE IDEA TOOLS
THE DESIGN ENVIRONMENT
IADE
ARACHNE
ARGONAUT
PANDORA
THE PROTOYTPING ENVIRONMENT
THE CHIMERA EXECUTION ENVIRONMENT
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS