This paper is about the role of dynamic models in object-oriented design (OOD). In this scope a dynamic model is an abstraction of a program execution which involves objects and their mutual interaction. The counterpart is a static model which is an abstraction of a program that involves classes and their structural relations. In the paper we will motivate our way of dealing with dynamic models and we will describe the approach that we follow in our ongoing research. The main purpose of the paper is to analyze possibilities and to describe the work we are carrying out.
The paper consists of three main sections:
The first section serves as a broad discussion of ideas, approaches and concepts. In the second section, elements of an abstract program execution model is analyzed. The third section outlines our ideas in a concrete form via initial considerations of a tool that supports the exploration of dynamic OOD models.
Finally a description of related work from the leading OOA and OOD literature is given.