Strategies for Consistency Checking Based on Unification

There is increasing interest in models of system development which use hfulriplc V'ic~lvp~u~t.~. Each viewpoint offers a different perspective on the target system and system devclopmcnt involves parallel refinement of the multiple views. Multiple viewpoints though, prompt the ISWC of consistency between viewpoints. This paper describes an interpretation of consistency which is general enough to meet the requirements of consistency for very general viewpoints models. Furthermore, the paper investigates strategies for checking this consistency definition. Particular emphasis is placed on mechanisms to obtain global consistency (between an arbitrary number ot viewpoints) from a series of binary consistency checks. The consistency checking strategies bc develop are illustrated using the formal description technique LOTOS. 13 1999 Elsevicr Sclcncc B.V. All rights reserved.