PROTOB: An object‐oriented case tool for modelling and prototyping distributed systems

Abstract

Abstract The PROTOB object‐oriented methodology for the executable specification of large‐scale event‐driven systems is introduced and described. Two supporting features of PROTOB are also presented: the graphic and textual language that formally describes the behaviour of objects, which is based on high‐level Petri nets called “PROT nets” and which is demonstrated to be more powerful than SA/RT dataflows; and a CASE environment with tools for specification, modelling, simulation and prototyping. Use of PROTOB is illustrated by discussion of the automated generation of distributed systems running on a network of VMS and UNIX computers.