"This research is aimed at studying the key technologies of Computer-Aided Manufacturing Planning (CAMP) of mass customization for non-rotational part production. The main goal of the CAMP is to rapidly generate manufacturing plans by using of the best-of-practice (BOP) provided by specific companies. A systematic information modeling hierarchy is proposed to facilitate changes in manufacturing plans according to changes in part design. The Object-oriented Systems Analysis (OSA) approach is used to represent information relationships and associativities in the CAMP. A feature-based part information model, a process model, a setup planning model, and manufacturing resource capability models are established. A three-level decision-making mechanism is proposed for the CAMP. At the feature- level, combined features are defined based on part families, and a process model is proposed to describe the information associativities between features and their manufacturing strategies, which include customized cutters and toolpaths. At the part level, graph-based setup planning is carried out by tolerance analysis and manufacturing resource capability analysis. At the machine level, multi-part fixtures are utilized to pursue high productivity. Cycle time is used to evaluate manufacturing plans. Computer software for the CAMP has been developed and integrated with CAD package Unigraphs. The BOP of part families is stored in XML format, which has good extendibility and can be read and edited by standard browsers."

"The essence of software design is to construct well-defined, encapsulated modules that are composed together to build the desired software application. There are several design paradigms in use today, including traditional Object-Oriented Programming (OOP), Feature-Oriented Programming (FOP), Aspect-Oriented Programming (AOP) and Instance-Oriented Programming (IOP). FOP studies the modularity of features in product lines, where a feature is an increment in program functionality. AOP aims to separate and modularize aspects when an aspect is a crosscutting concern. IOP, as an extension to FOP, makes the layers work like object factories. While each is good at solving different types of problems, they are closely related. The composition of modules is complicated because modules have (often hidden) dependencies on other modules. This thesis aims to better understand the way dependencies are managed by each approach. Based on this, we focus on the precedence issue in AOP and FOP, that is, how designers are able to specify the order by which modules are composed together. Different precedence means different semantics, but the current tools can not guarantee the correct precedence is adopted. We first solve the precedence issue separately for AOP and FOP, then based on this, we come up with a unified model to solve the precedence issue by using source code annotations to specify the precedence. We evaluate our technique with use cases. "

Thesis (MSc (Geography and Environmental Studies))--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / Soil salinization is a world wide environmental problem affecting plant growth and agricultural yields. Remote sensing has been used as a tool to detect and/or manage soil salinity. Object-oriented image analysis is a relatively new image analysis technique which allows analysis at different hierarchical scales, the use of relationships between objects and contextual information in the classification process, and the ability to create a rule based classification procedure. The Lower Orange River in South Africa is a region of successful irrigation farming along the river floodplain but also with the potential risk of soil salinization. This research attempted to detect and map areas of potential high soil salinity using digital aerial photography and digital elevation models. Image orthorectification was conducted on the digital aerial photographs. The radiometric variances between photographs made radiometric calibration of the photographs necessary. Radiometric calibration on the photographs was conducted using Landsat 7 satellite images as radiometric correction values, and image segmentation as the correction units for the photographs. After radiometric calibration, object-oriented analysis could be conducted on one analysis region and the developed rule bases applied to the other regions without the need for adjusting parameters. A rule based hierarchical classification was developed to detect vegetation stress from the photographs as well as salinity potential terrain features from the digital elevation models. These rule bases were applied to all analysis blocks. The detected potential high salinity indicators were analyzed spatially with field collected soil data in order to assess the capability of the classifications to detect actual salinization, as well as to assess which indicators were the best indicators of salinity potential. Vegetation stress was not a good indicator of salinity as many other indicators could also cause vegetation stress. Terrain indicators such as depressions in the landscape at a micro scale were the best indicators of potential soil salinization.

This study investigated the use of ORM as a conceptual modelling technique by using the UML domain model class diagram as benchmark. The rationale was that if the ORM-class diagram compared favourably with the benchmark, then ORM could be proposed as an alternate conceptual modelling technique. Proponents of ORM suggest that it has significant advantages over other techniques for conceptual modelling. The benchmark UML class diagram was developed according to the Unified Process through use-cases and collaboration diagrams. The ORM-class diagram was derived using the Conceptual Schema Design Process and ORM-UML Mapping Process. The evaluation of the two class diagrams was conducted by means of a questionnaire, based on a set of principles for conceptual models. The study concluded that ORM could not be proposed as a conceptual modelling technique up to the UML domain class diagram level without considering additional techniques for capturing the dynamics of the system. / Computer Science / M.Sc. (Computer Science)

Esta dissertação apresenta uma abordagem que aplica a Teoria de Projeto Axiomático à especificação de requisitos de sistemas de software visando melhorar a qualidade da solução de projeto desde a análise do problema até identificação dos requisitos efetivamente. O objetivo da abordagem desenvolvida é propor e integrar métodos que permitam o uso de Projeto Axiomático em um processo de Engenharia de Requisitos. A abordagem de especificação de requisitos proposta estabelece a aplicação do Axioma da Independência no estudo de problemas e necessidades do cliente. Desta forma, incluem-se no processo de engenharia de requisitos novos domínios de estudo, o domínio do problema e o domínio do cliente. É estabelecido um modelo de hierarquia para a decomposição de Problemas, Necessidades e Requisitos. Um processo de ziguezagueamento é sugerido para que se possa aplicar a abordagem proposta em conjunto com um processo de desenvolvimento interativo e incremental como o Processo Unificado. Apresenta-se um estudo de caso de um sistema de teste de equipamentos em uma linha de produção. O estudo de caso tem por objetivo demonstrar a aplicação prática da abordagem de especificação de requisitos proposta nesta dissertação. Além disso, apresentam-se os experimentos realizados durante o trabalho de pesquisa e seus resultados. Para exemplificar a execução dos experimentos é demonstrado o processo de especificação de requisitos para um sistema de relatórios de visitas a clientes. Este exemplo ajuda a ilustrar como a abordagem apresentada pode ser utilizada para aumentar a consistência e a qualidade dos requisitos de projetos de software. / This dissertation presents an approach that applies the Axiomatic Design Theory to the specification of software systems requirements. This Approach intends to improve the quality of design solution since its inception, which involves from the problem analysis to the requirements identification. The purpose of the proposed approach is to offer methods that allow the use of axiomatic design in a process of requirements engineering. The proposed requirements specification approach establishes the application of the Axiom of Independence in the study of problems and costumer needs. In this way, new domains, the problem domain and the costumer domain, are included in the requirements engineering process. It is established a hierarchical model for the decomposition of Problems, Needs and Requirements. A zig-zag process is suggested in order to use the propose approach in conjunction with a development process as the Unified Process. It is presented a case study of a system for equipment testing in a production line. The case study aims to demonstrate the practical application of the requirements specification approach proposed in this dissertation. In addition, the results of the experiments performed during the research are presented. The requirements specification process for a reporting system is shown to illustrate the experiments. This example helps billustrate how the proposed approach can be used to increase the consistency and quality of software requirements.

Esta dissertação apresenta uma abordagem que aplica a Teoria de Projeto Axiomático à especificação de requisitos de sistemas de software visando melhorar a qualidade da solução de projeto desde a análise do problema até identificação dos requisitos efetivamente. O objetivo da abordagem desenvolvida é propor e integrar métodos que permitam o uso de Projeto Axiomático em um processo de Engenharia de Requisitos. A abordagem de especificação de requisitos proposta estabelece a aplicação do Axioma da Independência no estudo de problemas e necessidades do cliente. Desta forma, incluem-se no processo de engenharia de requisitos novos domínios de estudo, o domínio do problema e o domínio do cliente. É estabelecido um modelo de hierarquia para a decomposição de Problemas, Necessidades e Requisitos. Um processo de ziguezagueamento é sugerido para que se possa aplicar a abordagem proposta em conjunto com um processo de desenvolvimento interativo e incremental como o Processo Unificado. Apresenta-se um estudo de caso de um sistema de teste de equipamentos em uma linha de produção. O estudo de caso tem por objetivo demonstrar a aplicação prática da abordagem de especificação de requisitos proposta nesta dissertação. Além disso, apresentam-se os experimentos realizados durante o trabalho de pesquisa e seus resultados. Para exemplificar a execução dos experimentos é demonstrado o processo de especificação de requisitos para um sistema de relatórios de visitas a clientes. Este exemplo ajuda a ilustrar como a abordagem apresentada pode ser utilizada para aumentar a consistência e a qualidade dos requisitos de projetos de software. / This dissertation presents an approach that applies the Axiomatic Design Theory to the specification of software systems requirements. This Approach intends to improve the quality of design solution since its inception, which involves from the problem analysis to the requirements identification. The purpose of the proposed approach is to offer methods that allow the use of axiomatic design in a process of requirements engineering. The proposed requirements specification approach establishes the application of the Axiom of Independence in the study of problems and costumer needs. In this way, new domains, the problem domain and the costumer domain, are included in the requirements engineering process. It is established a hierarchical model for the decomposition of Problems, Needs and Requirements. A zig-zag process is suggested in order to use the propose approach in conjunction with a development process as the Unified Process. It is presented a case study of a system for equipment testing in a production line. The case study aims to demonstrate the practical application of the requirements specification approach proposed in this dissertation. In addition, the results of the experiments performed during the research are presented. The requirements specification process for a reporting system is shown to illustrate the experiments. This example helps billustrate how the proposed approach can be used to increase the consistency and quality of software requirements.

The purpose of this project is to design, build, and implement a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system for a bank. CRM BANKING is an online application that caters to strengthening and stabilizing customer relationships in a bank.

This dissertation investigates the role of specification, refinement and implementation in the software development cycle. Both the structured and object-oriented paradigms are looked at. Particular emphasis is placed on the role of the refinement process. The requirements for the product (system) are determined, the specifications are drawn up, the product is designed, specified, implemented and tested. The stage between the (formal) specification of the system and the implementation of the system is the refinement stage. The refinement process consists out of data refinement, operation refinement, and operation decomposition. In this dissertation, Z, Object-Z and UML (Unified Modelling Language) are used as specification languages and C, C++, Cobol and Object-Oriented Cobol are used as implementation languages. As an illustration a small system, The ITEM System, is specified in Z and UML and implemented in Object-Oriented Cobol. / Computing / M. Sc. (Information Systems)

This thesis examines integration testing of object-oriented software. The process of integrating and testing procedural programs is reviewed as foundation for testing object-oriented software. The complexity of object-oriented software is examined. The relationship of integration testing and the software development life cycle is presented. Scenarios are discussed which account for the introduction of defects into the software. The Unified Modeling Language (UML) is chosen for representing pre-implementation and post-implementation models of the software. A demonstration of the technique of using post-implementation models representing the logical and physical views as an aid in integration and system testing of the software is presented. The use of UML diagrams developed from the software is suggested as a technique for integration testing of object-oriented software. The need for automating the data collection and model building is recognized. The technique is integrated into the Revised Spiral Model for Object-Oriented Software Development developed by du Plessis and van der Walt. / Computing / D.Phil. (Computer Science)

This dissertation investigates the role of specification, refinement and implementation in the software development cycle. Both the structured and object-oriented paradigms are looked at. Particular emphasis is placed on the role of the refinement process. The requirements for the product (system) are determined, the specifications are drawn up, the product is designed, specified, implemented and tested. The stage between the (formal) specification of the system and the implementation of the system is the refinement stage. The refinement process consists out of data refinement, operation refinement, and operation decomposition. In this dissertation, Z, Object-Z and UML (Unified Modelling Language) are used as specification languages and C, C++, Cobol and Object-Oriented Cobol are used as implementation languages. As an illustration a small system, The ITEM System, is specified in Z and UML and implemented in Object-Oriented Cobol. / Computing / M. Sc. (Information Systems)