A tool for object-oriented dynamic modeling

Abstract

The commonly recognized weakness of modern object oriented design and implementation methodologies lies in their superficial treatment of inter-object dynamics. The paper describes a software toolbox called ODYMOT that integrates a number of approaches to the problem of behavior modeling. In order to achieve design flexibility, a two-layer object design architecture is used that blends together object oriented design concepts with those of high level Petri nets. The Petri net representation creates an additional access layer of object architecture, providing meta level object control with the sequencing of method execution. This modeling approach allows one, both mathematically and pragmatically, to achieve a more precise and flexible description and implementation of real time and distributed models.