Comprehension and quality of analysis specifications-a comparison of FOOM and OPM methodologies

FOOM-Functional and Object Oriented Methodology-combines two essential software-engineering paradigms: the functional (or process-oriented) approach and the object-oriented (OO) approach. The two main products of the analysis phase of FOOM are an initial class diagram and OO-DFDs (dataflow diagrams including data classes rather than traditional data-stores). We evaluated these analysis products by comparing them with the analysis products of OPM-Object-Process Methodology-which also combines the functional and object-oriented approaches, using a unified diagrammatic notation. FOOM and OPM were compared in two controlled experiments from two main points of view: users and analysts. From the point of view of users we compared mainly comprehension of analysis specifications in each methodology. From the point of view of analysts we compared mainly quality, namely correctness of specifications created by analysts who utilized the two methodologies. The main results of the experiments are that FOOM specifications are more comprehensible and preferred by users, and that analysts create more correct specifications when using FOOM methodology.