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THE ADELE-TEMPO experience : an environment to support process modeling and enaction

Process-Centered Software Engineering Environments (PSEE) have recently attracted a large number of researchers. In such environments the software processes are explicitly described and interpreted by the PSEE, allowing software activities to be automated, assisted, and enforced. Lehman and Belady (1985) & Osterweil (1987) claim that this capability is a central element in a software development environment for the improvement of software product quality and software developers productivity. We have addressed these problems in the framework of the Adele project. The Adele kernel, initially a configuration management system has been extended with respect to 1) modeling and support of complex product models: the Object Manager 2) modeling and support of software processes: the Activity Manager and 3) modeling and support of software product evolution: the Configuration Manager. For data and product modelling, an ER/OO model has been implemented including SEE specific features; On top of Adele kernel, which is a commercial product, we developed a Process Manager research prototype, Tempo, an enactable formalism based on two major concepts: objects may have a different description (role) depending on the process in which they are used, and processes are synchronized and coordinated by explicit connections. ADL-Tempo is organized around the concepts of software product, Work Environment and software process.