General Electric's OMTool plus comments

General Electric's OMTool plus comments

[SAHARBAUGH]

4/16/93

To: Info-Ada and NCOSE (National Council on Systems Engineering) BB

From: SAHARBAUGH@ROO.FIT.EDU  Sam Harbaugh

     Today I received via US Mail a one sheet glossy advertisement for 
General Electric's OMTool.  Last September I called them about this 
after seeing mention of it in Rumbaugh et al book "Object-Oriented 
modeling and Design".  At that time it was $2500.00 for the Sun Sparc 
station.  

     Quoting from today's advertisement:

OMTool is a powerful graphical tool for the high-level analysis and 
design of systems and software using Object-Oriented concepts.

 o Full Object Model Notation Support
 o Export Capabilities for Analysis & Modules
 o Powerful Graphical Capabilities
 o Support for Dynamic and Functional Model Drawing Capability
 o Textual & Graphical Views of Design Documentation
 o C++ Code Generation
 o Multi-Platform Support

call 1 800 438-7276

end quote

     My comments:

1. Note that this tool is intended for "systems AND software".  I see 
this as a definite trend.  I see different tools for different system 
design paradigms.  OMTool is for OO and I have discussed one for state 
machine systems design that I'm not free to openly discuss.

2. Note that the OMTool generates C++, not Ada.  I asked about Ada 
code generation last September and was told "Ada later" according to 
my notes.  Today I was told "Ada not on priority list", "most people 
want C++", "even Government people using C++".

3.  I was told today that code generation is from the object model 
only at this time.

4.  I recall discussing with Grady Booch many years ago how Ada would 
someday be the portability layer between design tools and language 
compilers.  A set of design tools would generate Ada and a set of 
compiler/runtime systems would compile and execute that code on a 
variety of platforms.  I believe that was before C++ was defined.
I am getting the feeling that the momentum of C++ as a portability 
language has built steadily and that Ada has two strikes against it.
Strike 1:  Product managers will be very hesitant to put money into 
new development in Ada 83 because it will be replaced by Ada 9X.  
Strike 2: Ada9X with its (anticipated) competitive OO features will 
not be a reality for a while.  During this "time gap" C++ products 
grow more mature and the language more accepted.
[note for foreign readers: "strike 1..2" is a baseball metaphor.  Upon 
earning strike 3 the batter is "out".]

   Tell me it isn't so!  Continuing the metaphor; Tell me that Ada 9X
will hit a home run and save the team.  Tell me that I don't have to
learn C++ (especially the C part).

---

Re: General Electric's OMTool plus comments

[John Goodsen]

>3.  I was told today that code generation is from the object model 
>only at this time.

At this time, the Object Model is the *only* thing you can draw in OMTool.  


-- 
John Goodsen                EVB Software Engineering, Inc.
jgg@evb.com                    - Ada & Object Oriented Training/Products
(301) 695-6960                 - Ada GUI & Graphics Tools and Training
                               - Software Reuse, Process & Environments

Re: General Electric's OMTool plus comments

[cis.ohio-state.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!darwi]

In <1993Apr27.001714.16303@evb.com> jgg@evb.com (John Goodsen) writes:

>>3.  I was told today that code generation is from the object model 
>>only at this time.

>At this time, the Object Model is the *only* thing you can draw in OMTool.  

I do not think this is correct.  The technical overview of OMTool R1.2 claims
Dynamic and Functional Model Drawing Capability as well as Object model support
.

The representatives that were at Object Expo in New York last week claim that
the next release is due in July of this year and will include "more than just
notation for the Dynamic and functional models."  They led me to believe that 
this means that the models will be integrated to some degree and cross-model
consistency checks will be done by the tool.

They also gave me a demonstration diskette which I have not yet had time to
look at.  If you are interested the number on my diskette is 1-800-GE TRAIN.

I am not connected with them and am not advocating the use of this tool, just
providing information to those interested.

--Thor
dlc@ddsdx2.jhuapl.edu

Re: General Electric's OMTool plus comments

[John Goodsen]

dlc@ddsdx2.jhuapl.edu (Dave Collard x7468) writes:

>>>3.  I was told today that code generation is from the object model 
>>>only at this time.
>
>>At this time, the Object Model is the *only* thing you can draw in OMTool.  
>
>I do not think this is correct.  The technical overview of OMTool R1.2 claims
>Dynamic and Functional Model Drawing Capability as well as Object model suppor
t.
>
...
>
>They also gave me a demonstration diskette which I have not yet had time to
>look at.  If you are interested the number on my diskette is 1-800-GE TRAIN.
>


You can't believe everything you read.  You might
check out your demo disk. I am sitting here with a demo copy that 
I picked up at the STC conference.  Object Model only.  Of course, 
they are planning to support the other 2 models in future releases.  
Current release only supports object model.



-- 
John Goodsen                EVB Software Engineering, Inc.
jgg@evb.com                    - Ada & Object Oriented Training/Products
(301) 695-6960                 - Ada GUI & Graphics Tools and Training
                               - Software Reuse, Process & Environments