The purpose of this article is twofold, first to promote the use of patterns in the analysis phase of the software life-cycle by proposing an outline template for analysis patterns that strongly supports the whole analysis process from the requirements analysis to the analysis model and further on to its transformation into a flexible design. Second we present, as an example, a family of analysis patterns that deal with a series of pressing problems in cooperative work, collaborative information filtering and sharing, and knowledge management. We present the step-by-step evolution of the analysis pattern virtual library with active agents starting with a simple pinboard. In this paper we propose that using patterns in the analysis phase has the potential to reducing development time by introducing reuse already at the analysis stage and by improving the interface between analysis and design phase. To quantify our proposal we present results from the Virtual University project of the Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration, where the analysis patterns developed in this paper were used to implement several information systems. (author's abstract) / Series: Working Papers on Information Systems, Information Business and Operations

Padrões, linguagens de padrões e frameworks são formas de reuso de software. A complexidade de frameworks, causada pela dificuldade tanto em construí-los quanto em utilizá-los, é um dos inibidores do uso dessa tecnologia. Um processo para facilitar a construção e instanciação de frameworks é apresentado. Uma linguagem de padrões é utilizada para apoiar todo o processo, desde a identificação da funcionalidade do framework, seu projeto, implementação, validação, até sua instanciação para sistemas específicos do domínio. O framework obtido é do tipo caixa-branca e sua instanciação é feita especializando-se suas classes para sistemas específicos. O processo inclui, também, a construção de uma ferramenta para automatizar a instanciação do framework, por meio da qual é possível obter um sistema específico fornecendo apenas informações sobre os padrões da linguagem utilizados na sua modelagem. O processo é ilustrado com a Linguagem de Padrões para Gestão de Recursos de Negócios (GRN), que serviu de base para construção do framework GREN. Apresenta-se também o GREN-Wizard, uma ferramenta para instanciação automática do GREN para sistemas no domínio da GRN. A avaliação do processo é feita por meio de alguns experimentos e vários relatos de uso dos diversos sub-processos que compõem o processo geral, usando o GREN, a GRN e o GREN-Wizard. / Patterns, pattern languages, and frameworks are ways of enhancing software reuse. The complexity of software frameworks, caused both by the difficulty to build and to use them, is one of the inhibitors of this technology. A process to ease the construction and instantiation of frameworks is presented, in which a pattern language is used to support the whole process, starting from the identification of the framework functionality, its design, implementation, validation, and its instantiation to domain-specific systems. The framework that results from applying the proposed process is white-box and its instantiation is done by specializing its abstract classes according to a specific system. The process includes the construction of a tool to automate the framework instantiation, through which it is possible to obtain a specific system only by supplying information about the language patterns used to model it. The proposed process is illustrated with the Pattern Language for Business Resource Management (GRN), which was used as the basis for the GREN framework construction. The GREN-Wizard is also presented, which is a tool to automatically instantiate the GREN framework to specific applications in the GRN domain. The proposed process is evaluated by a few experiments and several uses of the sub-processes that compose the general process, using GRN, GREN and the GREN-Wizard.

Padrões, linguagens de padrões e frameworks são formas de reuso de software. A complexidade de frameworks, causada pela dificuldade tanto em construí-los quanto em utilizá-los, é um dos inibidores do uso dessa tecnologia. Um processo para facilitar a construção e instanciação de frameworks é apresentado. Uma linguagem de padrões é utilizada para apoiar todo o processo, desde a identificação da funcionalidade do framework, seu projeto, implementação, validação, até sua instanciação para sistemas específicos do domínio. O framework obtido é do tipo caixa-branca e sua instanciação é feita especializando-se suas classes para sistemas específicos. O processo inclui, também, a construção de uma ferramenta para automatizar a instanciação do framework, por meio da qual é possível obter um sistema específico fornecendo apenas informações sobre os padrões da linguagem utilizados na sua modelagem. O processo é ilustrado com a Linguagem de Padrões para Gestão de Recursos de Negócios (GRN), que serviu de base para construção do framework GREN. Apresenta-se também o GREN-Wizard, uma ferramenta para instanciação automática do GREN para sistemas no domínio da GRN. A avaliação do processo é feita por meio de alguns experimentos e vários relatos de uso dos diversos sub-processos que compõem o processo geral, usando o GREN, a GRN e o GREN-Wizard. / Patterns, pattern languages, and frameworks are ways of enhancing software reuse. The complexity of software frameworks, caused both by the difficulty to build and to use them, is one of the inhibitors of this technology. A process to ease the construction and instantiation of frameworks is presented, in which a pattern language is used to support the whole process, starting from the identification of the framework functionality, its design, implementation, validation, and its instantiation to domain-specific systems. The framework that results from applying the proposed process is white-box and its instantiation is done by specializing its abstract classes according to a specific system. The process includes the construction of a tool to automate the framework instantiation, through which it is possible to obtain a specific system only by supplying information about the language patterns used to model it. The proposed process is illustrated with the Pattern Language for Business Resource Management (GRN), which was used as the basis for the GREN framework construction. The GREN-Wizard is also presented, which is a tool to automatically instantiate the GREN framework to specific applications in the GRN domain. The proposed process is evaluated by a few experiments and several uses of the sub-processes that compose the general process, using GRN, GREN and the GREN-Wizard.

<p>The aims of this dissertation are to investigate the use and usefulness of patterns in Information Systems Engineering and to identify future areas of research. In order to do this there is a need to survey different types of patterns and find a common concept of patterns. A pattern is based on experience found in the real world. A text or a model or a combination of the both can describe the pattern. A pattern is typically described in terms of context, forces, problem, and solution. These can be explicitly expressed or implicitly found in the description of the pattern.</p><p>The types of patterns dealt with are: object-oriented patterns; design patterns, analysis patterns; data model patterns; domain patterns; business patterns; workflow patterns and the deontic pattern. The different types of patterns are presented using the authors' own terminology.</p><p>The patterns described in the survey are classified with respect to different aspects. The intention of this analysis is to form a taxonomy for patterns and to bring order into the vast amount of patterns. This is an important step in order to find out how patterns are used and can be used in Information Systems Engineering. The aspects used in the classification are: level of abstraction; text or model emphasis; product or process emphasis; life cycle stage usage and combinations of these aspects.</p><p>Finally an outline for future areas of research is presented. The areas that have been considered of interest are: patterns and Information Systems Engineering methods; patterns and tools (tool support for patterns); patterns as a pedagogical aid; the extraction and documentation of patterns and patterns and novel applications of information technology. Each future area of research is sketched out.</p>

The aims of this dissertation are to investigate the use and usefulness of patterns in Information Systems Engineering and to identify future areas of research. In order to do this there is a need to survey different types of patterns and find a common concept of patterns. A pattern is based on experience found in the real world. A text or a model or a combination of the both can describe the pattern. A pattern is typically described in terms of context, forces, problem, and solution. These can be explicitly expressed or implicitly found in the description of the pattern. The types of patterns dealt with are: object-oriented patterns; design patterns, analysis patterns; data model patterns; domain patterns; business patterns; workflow patterns and the deontic pattern. The different types of patterns are presented using the authors' own terminology. The patterns described in the survey are classified with respect to different aspects. The intention of this analysis is to form a taxonomy for patterns and to bring order into the vast amount of patterns. This is an important step in order to find out how patterns are used and can be used in Information Systems Engineering. The aspects used in the classification are: level of abstraction; text or model emphasis; product or process emphasis; life cycle stage usage and combinations of these aspects. Finally an outline for future areas of research is presented. The areas that have been considered of interest are: patterns and Information Systems Engineering methods; patterns and tools (tool support for patterns); patterns as a pedagogical aid; the extraction and documentation of patterns and patterns and novel applications of information technology. Each future area of research is sketched out.