Complex associations: abstractions in object-oriented modeling

  • Authors:

  • Bent Bruun Kristensen

  • Affiliations:

  • Aalborg University, Institute for Electronic Systems, Fredrik Bajers Vej 7, DK-9220 Aalborg ø Denmark

  • Venue:
  • OOPSLA '94 Proceedings of the ninth annual conference on Object-oriented programming systems, language, and applications
  • Year:
  • 1994

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Abstract

Objects model phenomena and a phenomenon is usually a component. Information characterizing a component is encapsulated and accessible only by its methods. The relations between components are modeled explicitly by means of associations or references. A relation is also a phenomenon and objects can model this type of phenomena too. Components are usually related conceptually in diverse and subtle ways: Some relations are implicitly given and some are local to other more basic relations. Such kinds of relations are important for understanding the organization and cooperation of objects and may be supported in object-oriented analysis, design, and programming: An implicit association describes a relation between an object and objects local to this enclosing object, and a complex association describes an explicit relation between local objects in different enclosing objects. Such associations are described by classes and the objects have the usual properties including methods and attributes.