From Object to Class Models: More Steps towards Flexible Modeling (Short Paper)

This contribution discusses a flexible modeling approach that proposes to develop class diagrams starting from object diagrams. On the one hand, the contribution explains in a general way the benefits of flexible visual modeling by allowing a lively development process through relaxing the formal requirements for artefacts in the work process. On the other hand, the contribution shows a concrete example and explains an implementation in a tool, in particular how to cover whole-part relationships, generalization and an improved handling for association multiplicities. The aim is to give developers the option to let their ideas flow in a free way with few creativity restrictions by a tool. Flexibility may be gained by transitioning in the work process between specific, instance-based visual models and generic, type-based visual models where both kinds of models allow for incompleteness or inconsistency.