Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

From Object-Oriented to Agent-Oriented Software Engineering Methodologies

  • Conference paper
Software Engineering for Multi-Agent Systems III (SELMAS 2004)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNPSE,volume 3390))

Abstract

Object-oriented methodologies are well-established and have been used as one input for the creation of methodologies suitable to support the development of agent-oriented software systems. While these agent-oriented (AO) methodologies vary in style and, particularly, in heritage and often with a specific focus (either in terms of domain, application style or lifecycle coverage), for industry adoption it is essential that full lifecycle coverage is achieved in a “standardized” way. One way of achieving some degree of standardization yet maintaining full flexibility is through the use of situational method engineering (SME). With this approach, method fragments are created and stored in a repository. For an individual software development, a subset of these is then selected from the repository and a project-specific (or sometimes organization-specific) methodology is constructed. Here, we demonstrate how this might work by using the OPEN approach that already provides a significant coverage of AO method fragments as well as more traditional OO and pre-OO fragments. Those newer fragments supporting AO approaches are detailed, describing, as they do, emerging substantial support for AO methodological creation from the OPEN repository in an SME context.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Avison, D., Fitzgerald, G.: Where now for development methodologies. Comm. ACM 46(1), 79–82 (2003)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bernon, C., Gleizes, M.-P., Picard, G., Glize, P.: The ADELFE methodology for an intranet system design. In: Giorgini, P., Lespérance, Y., Wagner, G., Yu, E. (eds.) Agent-Oriented Information Systems 2002. Procs. AOIS 2002, pp. 1–15 (2002)

    Google Scholar 

  • Bresciani, P., Giorgini, P., Giunchiglia, F., Mylopolous, J., Perini, A.: Tropos: an agent-oriented software development methodology. Autonomous Agents and Multi-Agent Systems 8(3), 203–236 (2004)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brinkkemper, S.: Method engineering: engineering of information systems development methods and tools. Inf. Software Technol. 38(4), 275–280 (1996)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brinkkemper, S., Saeki, M., Harmsen, F.: Assembly techniques for method engineering. In: Pernici, B., Thanos, C. (eds.) CAiSE 1998. LNCS, vol. 1413, pp. 381–400. Springer, Heidelberg (1998)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Burrafato, P., Cossentino, M.: Designing a multi-agent solution for a bookstore with the PASSI methodology. In: Giorgini, P., Lespérance, Y., Wagner, G., Yu, E. (eds.) Procs. Agent-Oriented Information Systems 2002, pp. 102–118 (2002)

    Google Scholar 

  • Caire, G., Coulier, W., Garijo, F., Gomez, J., Pavon, J., Leal, F., Chainho, P., Kearney, P., Stark, J., Evans, R., Massonet, P.: Agent oriented analysis using MESSAGE/UML. In: Wooldridge, M.J., Weiß, G., Ciancarini, P. (eds.) AOSE 2001. LNCS, vol. 2222, pp. 119–135. Springer, Heidelberg (2002)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Castro, J., Kolp, M., Mylopoulos, J.: Towards requirements-driven information systems engineering: the Tropos project. Information Systems 27(6), 365–389 (2002)

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Cernuzzi, L., Rossi, G.: On the evaluation of agent oriented methodologies. In: Procs. OOPSLA 2002 Workshop on Agent-Oriented Methodologies, Centre for Object Technology Applications and Research, Sydney, pp. 21–30 (2002)

    Google Scholar 

  • Coleman, D., Arnold, P., Bodoff, S., Dollin, C., Gilchrist, H.: Object-Oriented Development. The Fusion Method, p. 313. Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs (1994)

    Google Scholar 

  • Collier, R., et al.: Beyond prototyping in the factory of agents. In: Mařík, V., Müller, J.P., Pěchouček, M. (eds.) CEEMAS 2003. LNCS (LNAI), vol. 2691, pp. 383–393. Springer, Heidelberg (2003)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Collier, R., O’Hare, G., Rooney, C.: A UML-based software engineering methodology for Agent Factory. In: Procs. SEKE 2004 (2004) (in press)

    Google Scholar 

  • Collinot, A., Drogoul, A., Benhamou, P.: Agent oriented design of a soccer robot team. In: Procs. Second Intl. Conf. on Multi-Agent Systems, ICMAS 1996 (1996)

    Google Scholar 

  • Collinot, A., Drogoul, A.: Using the Cassiopeia Method to Design a Soccer Robot Team. Applied Articial Intelligence (AAI) Journal 12(2-3), 127–147 (1998)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cossentino, M., Potts, C.: A CASE tool supported methodology for the design of multi-agent systems. In: The 2002 International Conference on Software Engineering Research and Practice, SERP 2002 (2002)

    Google Scholar 

  • Dam, K.H., Winikoff, M.: Comparing agent-oriented methodologies. In: Giorgini, P., Henderson-Sellers, B., Winikoff, M. (eds.) AOIS 2003. LNCS (LNAI), vol. 3030, pp. 78–93. Springer, Heidelberg (2004)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Debenham, J., Henderson-Sellers, B.: Designing agent-based process systems - extending the OPEN Process Framework. In: Plekhanova, V. (ed.) Intelligent Agent Software Engineering, ch. VIII, pp. 160–190. Idea Group Inc., Hershey (2003)

    Google Scholar 

  • DeLoach, S.A.: Multiagent Systems Engineering: A Methodology and Language for Designing Agent Systems. In: Procs. AOIS 1999 (1999)

    Google Scholar 

  • Firesmith, D.G., Henderson-Sellers, B.: The OPEN Process Framework. Addison Wesley, Harlow (2002)

    Google Scholar 

  • Fitzgerald, B., Russo, N.L., O’Kane, T.: Software development method tailoring at Motorola. Comm. ACM 46(4), 65–70 (2003)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gonzalez-Perez, C., Henderson-Sellers, B., Debenham, J., Low, G.C., Tran, Q.-N.N.: Incorporating elements from CAMLE in the OPEN repository. In: Procs. IIP (October 21-23, 2004)

    Google Scholar 

  • Graham, I., Henderson-Sellers, B., Younessi, H.: The OPEN Process Specification. Addison-Wesley, Reading (1997)

    Google Scholar 

  • Henderson-Sellers, B.: Who needs an OO methodology anyway? J. Obj.-Oriented Programming 8(6), 6–8 (1995)

    Google Scholar 

  • Henderson-Sellers, B.: Method engineering for OO system development. Comm. ACM 46(10), 73–78 (2003)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Henderson-Sellers, B.: Creating a comprehensive agent-oriented methodology – using method engineering and the OPEN metamodel. In: Henderson-Sellers, B., Giorgini, P. (eds.) Agent-Oriented Methodologies, Ch. 13. Idea Group Inc., Hershey (2005)

    Google Scholar 

  • Henderson-Sellers, B., Debenham, J.: Towards OPEN methodological support for agent-oriented systems development. In: Procs. First International Conference on Agent-Based Technologies and Systems, University of Calgary, Canada, pp. 14–24 (2003)

    Google Scholar 

  • Henderson-Sellers, B., Simons, A.J.H., Younessi, H.: The OPEN Toolbox of Techniques, p. 426+ CD. Addison-Wesley, UK (1998)

    Google Scholar 

  • Henderson-Sellers, B., Giorgini, P., Bresciani, P.: Evaluating the potential for integrating the OPEN and Tropos metamodels. In: Al-Ani, B., Arabnia, H.R., Mun, Y. (eds.) Procs. SERP 2003, pp. 992–995. CSREA Press, Las Vegas (2003)

    Google Scholar 

  • Henderson-Sellers, B., Giorgini, P., Bresciani, P.: Enhancing Agent OPEN with concepts used in the Tropos methodology. In: Omicini, A., Petta, P., Pitt, J. (eds.) ESAW 2003. LNCS (LNAI), vol. 3071, pp. 328–345. Springer, Heidelberg (2004a)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Henderson-Sellers, B., Debenham, J., Tran, Q.-N.N.: Adding agent-oriented concepts derived from GAIA to Agent OPEN. In: Persson, A., Stirna, J. (eds.) CAiSE 2004. LNCS, vol. 3084, pp. 98–111. Springer, Heidelberg (2004b)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Henderson-Sellers, B., Tran, Q.-N.N., Debenham, J.: Incorporating elements from the Prometheus agent-oriented methodology in the OPEN Process Framework. In: Procs. AOIS@CAiSE 2004, Faculty of Computer Science and Information, Riga Technical University, Latvia, pp. 370–385 (2004c)

    Google Scholar 

  • Henderson-Sellers, B., Tran, Q.-N.N., Debenham, J.: Method engineering, the OPEN Process Framework and Cassiopeia. In: Procs. Symposium on Professional Practice in AI, Toulouse, France, August 22-27. Kluwer, Dordrecht (2004d)

    Google Scholar 

  • Henderson-Sellers, B., Tran, Q.-N.N., Debenham, J., Gonzalez-Perez, C.: Agentoriented information systems development using OPEN and the Agent Factory. In: Procs. ISD 2004, Vilnius, September 9-11. Kluwer, Dordrecht (2004e)

    Google Scholar 

  • Huget, M.-P.: Nemo: an agent-oriented software engineering methodology. In: Procs. OOPSLA 2002 Workshop on Agent-Oriented Methodologies, Centre for Object Technology Applications and Research, Sydney, Australia, pp. 43–53 (2002)

    Google Scholar 

  • Iglesias, C.A., Garijo, M., Gonzalez, J.C., Velasco, J.R.: A methodological proposal for multiagent systems development extending commonkads. In: Proc. of 10th KAW, Banff, Canada (1996)

    Google Scholar 

  • Iglesias, C.A., Garijo, M., Gonzalez, J.C., Velasco, J.R.: Analysis and Design of Multi-Agent Systems using MAS-CommonKADS. In: Singh, M.P., Rao, A., Wooldridge, M.J. (eds.) ATAL 1997. LNCS, vol. 1365. Springer, Heidelberg (1998)

    Google Scholar 

  • Kendall, E.A., Zhao, L.: Capturing and Structuring Goals. In: Workshop on Use Case Patterns, Object Oriented Programming Systems Languages and Architectures (1998)

    Google Scholar 

  • Kendall, E.A., Malkoun, M.T., Jiang, C.: A methodology for developing agent based systems for enterprise integration. In: Bernus, P., Nemes, L. (eds.) Modelling and Methodologies for Enterprise Integration. Chapman and Hall, Boca Raton (1996)

    Google Scholar 

  • Kinny, D., Georgeff, M., Rao, A.: A methodology and modelling techniques for systems of BDI agents, Technical Note 58, Australian Artificial Intelligence Institute, also published. In: Perram, J., Van de Velde, W. (eds.) MAAMAW 1996. LNCS, vol. 1038, pp. 56–71. Springer, Heidelberg (1996)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Klooster, M., Brinkkemper, S., Harmsen, F., Wijers, G.: Intranet facilitated knowledge management: A theory and tool for defining situational methods. In: Olivé, À., Pastor, J.A. (eds.) CAiSE 1997. LNCS, vol. 1250, pp. 303–317. Springer, Heidelberg (1997)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Kruchten, P.: The Rational Unified Process. An Introduction. Addison-Wesley, Reading (1999)

    Google Scholar 

  • Kumar, K., Welke, R.J.: Method engineering: a proposal for situation-specific methodology construction. In: Cotterman, W.W., Senn, J.A. (eds.) Systems Analysis and Design: A Research Agenda, pp. 257–269. John Wiley and Sons, New York (1992)

    Google Scholar 

  • Lind, J.: Iterative Software Engineering for Multiagent Systems. LNCS (LNAI), vol. 1994. Springer, Heidelberg (2001)

    Book  MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Luck, M., Ashri, R., D’Inverno, M.: Agent-Based Software Development, 208p. Artech House, Boston (2004)

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  • McBride, T.: Standards need more rigour. Information Age, 65–66 (October/November 2004)

    Google Scholar 

  • Nguyen, V.P., Henderson-Sellers, B.: OPENPC: a tool to automate aspects of method engineering. In: Procs. ICSSEA 2003, Paris, France, vol. 5, 7p. (2003)

    Google Scholar 

  • Odell, J., Van Dyke Parunak, H., Bauer, B.: Extending UML for agents. In: Wagner, G., Lesperance, Y., Yu, E. (eds.) Procs. Agent-Oriented Information Systems Workshop, 17th National Conference on Artificial Intelligence, Austin, TX, USA, pp. 3–17 (2000)

    Google Scholar 

  • Omicini, A.: SODA: Societies and infrastructures in the analysis and design of agent-based systems. In: Ciancarini, P., Wooldridge, M.J. (eds.) AOSE 2000. LNCS, vol. 1957, pp. 185–193. Springer, Heidelberg (2001)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Padgham, L., Winikoff, M.: Prometheus: A Methodology for Developing Intelligent Agents. In: Procs. Third International Workshop on Agent-Oriented Software Engineering, at AAMAS 2002 (2002a)

    Google Scholar 

  • Padgham, L., Winikoff, M.: Prometheus: A Pragmatic Methodology for Engineering Intelligent Agents. In: Procs.Workshop on Agent-oriented Methodologies at OOPSLA 2002, Seattle, November 4 (2002b)

    Google Scholar 

  • Pavón, J., Gomez-Sanz, J., Fuentes, R.: The INGENIAS methodology and tools. In: Henderson-Sellers, B., Giorgini, P. (eds.) Agent-Oriented Methodologies, Ch. 4. Idea Group Inc., Hershey (2005)

    Google Scholar 

  • Perini, A., Bresciani, P., Giorgini, P., Giunchiglia, G., Mylopoulos, J.: A knowledge level software engineering methodology for agent oriented programming. In: Müller, J.P., Andre, E., Sen, S., Frasson, C. (eds.) Proceedings of the Fifth International Conference on Autonomous Agents, Montreal, Canada (May 2001)

    Google Scholar 

  • Ralyté, J.: Towards situational methods for information systems development: engineering reusable method chunks. In: Vasilecas, O., Caplinskas, A., Wojtkowski, W., Wojtkowski, W.G., Zupancic, J., Wrycza, S. (eds.) Procs. 13th Int. Conf. on Information Systems Development. Advances in Theory, Practice and Education, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Vilnius, Lithuania, pp. 271–282 (2004)

    Google Scholar 

  • Ralyté, J., Rolland, C.: An assembly process model for method engineering. In: Dittrich, K.R., Geppert, A., Norrie, M.C. (eds.) CAiSE 2001. LNCS, vol. 2068, pp. 267–283. Springer, Heidelberg (2001)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Ralyté, J., Deneckère, R., Rolland, C.: Towards a generic model for situational method engineering. In: Eder, J., Missikoff, M. (eds.) CAiSE 2003. LNCS, vol. 2681, pp. 95–110. Springer, Heidelberg (2003)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Ralyté, J., Rolland, C., Deneckère, R.: Towards a meta-tool for change-centric method engineering: A typology of generic operators. In: Persson, A., Stirna, J. (eds.) CAiSE 2004. LNCS, vol. 3084, pp. 202–218. Springer, Heidelberg (2004)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Rao, A.S., Georgeff, M.P.: BDI agents: from theory to practice. In: Procs. First International Conference on Multi-Agent Systems, San Francisco, CA, USA, pp. 312–319 (1995)

    Google Scholar 

  • Rolland, C., Prakash, N.: A proposal for context-specific method engineering. In: Procs. IFIP WG8.1 Conf. on Method Engineering, pp. 191–208. Chapman and Hall, Boca Raton (1996)

    Google Scholar 

  • Rolland, C., Prakash, N., Benjamen, A.: A multi-model view of process modelling. Requirements Eng. J. 4(4), 169–187 (1999)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rumbaugh, J., Blaha, M., Premerlani, W., Eddy, F., Lorensen, W.: Object-Oriented Modeling and Design. Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs (1991)

    Google Scholar 

  • Saeki, M.: CAME: the first step to automated software engineering, Process Engineering for Object-Oriented and Component-Based Development. In: Procs. OOPSLA 2003 Workshop, Centre for Object Technology Applications and Research, Sydney, Australia, pp. 7–18 (2003)

    Google Scholar 

  • Schreiber, A.T., Wielinga, B.J., de Hoog, R., Akkermans, J.M., Van de Velde, W.: CommonKADS: A comprehensive methodology for KBS development. IEEE Expert. 9(6), 28–37 (1994)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shan, L., Zhu, H.: CAMLE: A Caste-Centric Agent-Oriented Modeling Language and Environment. In: Third International Workshop on Software Engineering for Large-Scale Multi-Agent Systems, Edinburgh, May 24-25. Springer, Heidelberg (2004) (in press)

    Google Scholar 

  • Silva, V., Lucena, C.: From a conceptual framework for agents and objects to a multi-agent system modeling language. Autonomous Agents and Multi-Agent Systems 9(1-2), 145–189 (2004)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sturm, A., Shehory, O.: A framework for evaluating agent-oriented methodologies. In: Giorgini, P., Henderson-Sellers, B., Winikoff, M. (eds.) AOIS 2003. LNCS (LNAI), vol. 3030, pp. 94–109. Springer, Heidelberg (2004)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Ter Hofstede, A.H.M., Verhoef, T.F.: On the feasibility of situational method engineering. Information Systems 22, 401–422 (1997)

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Tran, Q.-N.N., Low, G.C.: Comparison of methodologies. In: Henderson-Sellers, B., Giorgini, P. (eds.) Agent-Oriented Methodologies, Ch. 12. Idea Group Inc., Hershey (2005)

    Google Scholar 

  • Tran, Q.N., Low, G., Williams, M.A.: A feature analysis framework for evaluating multi-agent system development methodologies. In: Zhong, N., Ras, Z.W., Tsumoto, S., Suzuki, E. (eds.) Procs. 14th Int. Symposium on Methodologies for Intelligent Systems (SMIS 2003). Foundations of Intelligent Systems, pp. 613–617 (2003)

    Google Scholar 

  • Tran, Q.-N.N., Henderson-Sellers, B., Debenham, J.: Incorporating the elements of the MASE methodology into Agent OPEN. In: Seruca, I., Cordeiro, J., Hammoudi, S., Filipe, J. (eds.) Procs. ICEIS 2004 - Sixth International Conference on Enterprise Information Systems, vol. 4, pp. 380–388. INSTICC Press (2004a)

    Google Scholar 

  • Tran, Q.-N.N., Low, G., Williams, M.-A.: A preliminary comparative feature analysis of multi-agent systems development methodologies. In: Procs. AOIS@CAiSE 2004, Faculty of Computer Science and Information, Riga Technical University, Latvia, pp. 386–398 (2004b)

    Google Scholar 

  • Tran, Q.-N.N., Henderson-Sellers, B., Debenham, J., Gonzalez-Perez, C.: MASCommonKADS and the OPEN method engineering approach (2004c) (submitted for publication)

    Google Scholar 

  • van Slooten, K., Hodes, B.: Characterizing IS development projects. In: Brinkkemper, S., Lyytinen, K., Welke, R. (eds.) Proceedings of the IFIP TC8 Working Conference on Method Engineering: Principles of method construction and tool support, pp. 29–44. Chapman&Hall, Great Britain (1996)

    Google Scholar 

  • Wagner, G.: The Agent-Object Relationship metamodel: towards a unified view of state and behaviour. Inf. Systems 28(5), 475–504 (2003)

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Wagner, G.: AOR modelling and simulation: towards a general architecture for agentbased discrete event simulation. In: Giorgini, P., Henderson-Sellers, B., Winikoff, M. (eds.) AOIS 2003. LNCS (LNAI), vol. 3030, pp. 174–188. Springer, Heidelberg (2004)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Wagner, G., Taveter, K.: Towards radical agent-oriented software engineering processes based on AOR modelling. In: Henderson-Sellers, B., Giorgini, P. (eds.) Agent-Oriented Methodologies, Ch. 10. Idea Group Inc., Hershey (2005)

    Google Scholar 

  • Wistrand, K., Karlsson, F.: Method components – rationale revealed. In: Persson, A., Stirna, J. (eds.) CAiSE 2004. LNCS, vol. 3084, pp. 189–201. Springer, Heidelberg (2004)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Wood, M., DeLoach, S.A.: An Overview of the Multiagent Systems Engineering Methodology. In: Ciancarini, P., Wooldridge, M.J. (eds.) AOSE 2000. LNCS, vol. 1957, pp. 207–222. Springer, Heidelberg (2001)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Wooldridge, M., Jennings, N.R., Kinny, D.: The Gaia methodology for agent oriented analysis and design. J. Autonomous Agents and Multi-Agent Systems 3, 285–312 (2000)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yu, E.: Modelling Strategic Relationships for Process Reengineering, PhD, University of Toronto, Department of Computer Science (1995)

    Google Scholar 

  • Zambonelli, F., Jennings, N., Wooldridge, M.: Developing multiagent systems: the Gaia methodology. ACM Transaction on Software Engineering and Methodology 12(3), 317–370 (2003)

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Technology, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia

    Brian Henderson-Sellers

Authors
  1. Brian Henderson-Sellers
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. SE-8, IME, Pca General Tiburcio 80, 22290-270, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

    Ricardo Choren

  2. Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK

    Alessandro Garcia

  3. Computer Science Department, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

    Carlos Lucena

  4. Computer Science School, Newcastle University, UK

    Alexander Romanovsky

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2005 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this paper

Cite this paper

Henderson-Sellers, B. (2005). From Object-Oriented to Agent-Oriented Software Engineering Methodologies. In: Choren, R., Garcia, A., Lucena, C., Romanovsky, A. (eds) Software Engineering for Multi-Agent Systems III. SELMAS 2004. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 3390. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-31846-0_1

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-31846-0_1

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-24843-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-31846-0

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation