On the Notions of Abstraction, Consistency, and Design
in the ODP Framework of Viewpoints

by
Kazi Farooqui and Luigi Logrippo,

Department of Computer Science
University of Ottawa

Abstract

One of the most fundamental systems analysis and design principle is that
of "abstraction". Essentially, the purpose of abstraction is to clarify
or highlight some features of a problem by concealing others. The set
of viewpoints identified in the ODP architecture is merely a pragmatic
classification of concerns. A viewpoint leads to a representation of the
system with emphasis on a specific set of concerns, and the resulting
represen tation is an abstraction of the system, i.e., a description
which recognizes some distinctions that are relevant to the concern
and ignores others. The viewpoint models exhibit very subtle concepts
with respect to the notion of abstraction and consistency between
them. They offer a very powerful structuring paradigm suitable for a
design activity. In this paper we explore the notion of abstraction,
consistency between viewpoint mod els, and the role of viewpoint models
in the design process framework. The correct understanding of the rela
tionship between viewpoint models and their role in design activity is
crucial for the construction of ODP development tools.