San Francisco, California-based Interactive Development Environments Inc has introduced Software Through Pictures/Object Modelling Technique, STP/OMT, an object-oriented design and analysis tool based on the Rumbaugh methodology. Targeted at the large corporate and scientific and technical markets, the Object Modelling Technique enables developers to create formal models of designs and analyse data visually on screen. But unlike other methodologies which have very limited notation rules (a notation is the way an object is symbolically represented on screen), Software Through Pictures/Object Modelling Technique has a high level of notation abstraction which gives users a more varied choice of visual representation, Interactive Development claims. Data encapsulated in an object isn’t affected when a notation is changed or when development is switched from a different object methodology. STP/OMT’s core technology includes a central repository, which stores Object Modelling Technique designs and catalogues tools from supported databases including Sybase Inc’s SQL Server and Informix Software Inc’s OnLine 6.0; a C++ code generator; a messaging system that controls communications between different Interactive Development and third party tools such as Hewlett-Packard Co’s SoftBench and Centerline Software Inc’s ObjectCenter; and three table, diagram and graphics editors. Software Through Pictures/Object Modelling Technique is available from September on Sun Microsystems Inc Sparcstations and costs $15,000 – UKP11,000.
