An expanded view of domain modeling for software analogy

Current domain modeling techniques encounter a similar barrier that the traditional requirements modeling methods have suffered: lack of enough flexibility to support potential reuse. Domain analysis is proposed to facilitate reuse across different applications in the same domain. But domain analysis is a complex and time-consuming task, furthermore, there are similarities among different application domains. The results of domain modeling should also be reused for different but analogous domains to receive high-payoff. This paper expands the current domain modeling methods by incorporating some concepts reported in the analogy research discipline. The expanded approach include four main models: object model, functional model, relational model, and dynamic model. Relational modeling and systems goals in dynamic modeling are adopted from analogical studies and experiments and are integrated into the approach. The expanded view will not only help better understand the domain, but also facilitate reasoning and mapping of existing knowledge or software to different yet analogous application domains.