comp.software-eng archive file "blurb/objectime" last changed 26 Mar 1993

About ObjecTime
---------------
ObjecTime is an object-oriented CASE tool developed specifically for
the  analysis, design, verification and implementation of complex
distributed real-time systems. It was originated in Bell-Northern
Research (BNR).  ObjecTime Limited, a company fully independent from
BNR and Northern Telecom, was formed to bring the tool to a wider
marketplace.

ObjecTime supports an advanced methodology for the analysis and design
of distributed, event-driven systems known as Real-Time Object-Oriented
Modeling (ROOM).  ROOM employs graphical design concepts and a
highly-iterative development process to help eliminate error-prone
discontinuities between the various phases of software development. A
complete book on the methodology will be published by John Wiley & Sons
in the fall of 1993.

ObjecTime enables software engineers to graphically construct and test
EXECUTABLE analysis and design models prior to actual implementation.
This results in higher quality software at a lower cost since
specification and design errors can be detected and eliminated early in
the development cycle. The toolset also includes extensive capabilites
to refine high-level design models into detailed design
implementations.

The basic high-level paradigm is one of distributed concurrent objects
communicating via messages. Messages are specified formally by protocol
classes. Finite-state machines representing object behavior are based
on object-oriented extensions to the Statecharts formalism. Inheritance
and hierarchical decomposition can be applied to both objects and
state-machines permitting the technique to scale-up to large
high-complexity systems.

The higher-level object-oriented concepts are independent of
programming language. Either C++ or the tool's Rapid Prototyping
Language (based on Smalltalk-80) may be used at the detailed design
level.

ObjecTime supports the creation of various networked testbeds for more
realistic prototpying of new systems. This is achieved by the
capability of an executing ObjecTime model to send and receive messages
in real-time (via TCP/IP) to directly control hardware, interwork with
models on other workstations or communicate with any other UNIX
process.

In mid-1993 ObjecTime Limited will deliver the key components to enable the
rapid implementation of high performance applications:

* A FULLY-AUTOMATIC code generator to produce C++ code directly from
  the ObjecTime graphical design models. This is used in conjunction
  with an object-oriented run-time system to significantly improve the
  performance of event-driven applications running on industry standard
  operating systems.

* * *

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: 

	Garth Gullekson 
	ObjecTime Limited
	1-800-567-TIME
	sales@objectime.on.ca