Business Rules Object-Oriented Method [Broom)
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Date
2004-07
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Business rules systems are automated systems in which the business rules are separated
from the procedural codes and database constructs. In addition, these business rules are
shared across data stores, user interfaces and applications. The formal way of developing
such systems is known as Business Rules Approach (BRA). Any approach has its own
tradeoffs. To that end, BRA and other approaches such as Object-Oriented Approach
(OOA) have their own strengths and weaknesses in developing business rules systems.
This research is targeted to bring about a new, lightweight, and viable method known as
Business Rules Object-Oriented Method (BROOM, for short) by taking the strengths of
both approaches.
Persistency of business rules is a prerequisite for separating business rules from the
procedural codes and database constructs. This is, however, a less addressed issue by
OOA although the concept of objects has been spread since 1967. Furthermore, this
separation of business rules is a basic principle of BRA in which its proponents consider
that OOA and the Unified Modeling Language (UML) are incapable of addressing the
development problem of a business rules system.
In this research, to alleviate the problems stated above, UML was extended with
stereotype extension mechanism to model the business rules flavors (i.e., term, fact and
rule). The support tools for the method were also prototyped. These support tools include
Metamodel Management Tool (MMT), Rules Management Tool (RMT), and Data
Management Tool (DMT). Moreover, a general architectural framework for the method
was provided from which an extended version of the framework was drawn. This extended
framework utilized Java, eXtensible Markup Language (XML), and eXtensible Stylesheet
Language (XSL) in order to realize a design pattern for a lightweight Rule Engine.
Last but not least, BROOM was demonstrated with a system and the extended framework
as a case study. The system rigorously used the prototype tools after it was modeled with
the UML extensions made earlier. Finally, the results of the case study were analyzed.
Keywords: Method, Business Rules, Business Rules System, Rule Engine, Support Tools
Description
Keywords
Method, Business Rules, Business Rules System, Rule Engine, Support Tools