Methodologies for Web Information System Design

1
Methodologies for Web Information System Design

• Peter Barna
• p.barna_at_tue.nl

2
Outline

• Traditional IS and WIS
• Phases of the design cycle for WIS
• Navigation and Adaptation
• Methodologies
• Conclusion
• Questions

3
Traditional IS and WIS
Traditional IS
WIS

• Work typically with heterogeneous, dynamic and
  distributed data
• Serve to diverse and large audience
• Use web navigation with all its specifics

• Work typically with well defined and closed data
  repository
• Serve to well known and specific audience
• Use dedicated SW and HW platforms

4
Typical WIS design cycle

• Requirements analysis delivers Requirement spec
• Conceptual design delivers Conceptual model
• Navigation design delivers Navigation model(s)
• Adaptation design delivers Adaptation model
• Presentation design delivers Presentation model
• Implementation delivers WIS

5
Navigation

• Good navigation structure of an application helps
  user to find relevant information fast and avoids
  him to be lost in hyperspace
• Navigation model
• Abstracts from concrete platform (OS, hypertext
  protocol) as much as possible
• Depends on CM, but is separated (multiple NM
  possible for one CM)

6
Adaptation

• Makes WIS more suitable for individual users
• Based on different aspects
• Users platform since it does not change during
  browsing the adaptation is static (adaptability)
• Users preferences since this also usually does
  not change during the adaptation is static
• Users behaviour since it includes also
  browsing, the adaptation is dynamic (adaptivity)

7
Methodologies Example
Conceptual model of the example in RDFS notation

• Example application has 3 views
• Technique
• Painting
• Painter
• based on particular concepts

8
RMM Relationship Management Methodology

• Defines process of building of NM only
• CM is by default E-R diagram
• Slices as navigation objects
• Meaningful collections of attributes from
  different CM concepts
• Nested and referenced from each other
• No adaptation modelling

9
OOHDM Object-Oriented Hypermedia Design
Methodology

• O-O approach based on OMT notation
• NM consists of
• Navigation Class Schema
• Navigation Context Schema
• Adaptation can be modelled, but is not directly
  supported

10
UWE UML Based Web Engineering Methodology

• O-O approach based on UML notation
• NM consists of
• Navigation Space Model
• Navigation Structure Model
• Adaptation model is described in Munich Reference
  Model (AHAM-like UWE extension)

11
WebML Web Modeling Language

• Oriented towards design patterns re-use
• Specifies
• Structure model
• Derivation model
• Hypertext model
• Composition model
• Navigation model
• Adaptation modelling can use User and Group
  entities pre-defined in structure model

12
Hera

• Model-driven methodology defines
• Process of model specification (integration,
  navigation, adaptation, and presentation) using
  terms from predefined ontologies
• Framework of WIS generating presentations on user
  request and process of data transformation (using
  designed models)

13
Hera

• Navigation specification is RMM-like, it uses the
  slice concept
• Adaptation in Hera
• Static (adaptability) based on platform profile
  and users preferences. The appearance of slices
  is decided during presentation generation
• Dynamic (adaptivity) based on overview of
  concepts/slices visited by user during browsing.
  Hera uses the AHAM reference model.

14
Conclusion

• O-O methodologies facilitate specification of WIS
  with possible rich functionality, but the
  functionality specification is usually vague (the
  implementation of methods is left to
  programmers).
• Many methodologies allow adaptation modeling in
  some ways, but just few really support it
  sufficiently.
• Hera allows automated presentation generation,
  supports adaptation modeling.
• Future Hera research extend it with techniques
  that would facilitate generation of presentations
  with functionality richer than only links
  following.

15
Thank youfor your attention
16
Questions