Function-class decomposition: a hybrid software engineering method

In addition to offering a simple yet powerful method for decomposing a system, function-class decomposition (FCD) produces an architecture that is more supportive than traditional object-oriented decomposition for several software engineering tasks. A hybrid method that integrates structured analysis with an OO approach, FCD identifies classes in parallel with decomposing the system into a hierarchy of functional modules. Recently, developers extended FCD to integrate UML concepts. Useful for partitioning a system for distribution, the FCD hierarchy provides a framework for controlling development in a distributed software engineering environment. It also helps identify and integrate components in component-based development and supports the system life-cycle maintenance phase. Further, FCD addresses many of the initial analysis and design problems inherent in large and complex OO systems. The authors' experience with testing FCD on several applications validates its compatibility with OO methodologies and modeling techniques.