Conceptual Modeling of Information Systems

This book explains in detail the principles of conceptual modeling independently from particular methods and languages and shows how to apply them in real-world projects. It covers all aspects of the engineering process from structural modeling over behavioral modeling to meta-modeling, and completes the presentation with an extensive case study based on the osCommerce system, an online store-management software program freely available under the GNU General Public License. The presentation is based on well-known industry standards like UML and OCL as a particular conceptual modeling language, yet also delivers the basics of the formal logical language background. The book also includes lots of exercises and additional online teaching material. Written for students as well as for professionals feeling the need to formalize their experiences or to update their knowledge, this book delivers a comprehensive treatment of all aspects of the modeling process.