Representing Control Constructs in Object-Flow Process Diagrams

Compositions of command statements, branching, iteration and recursion are primarily used in high-level programming languages to devise algorithms and obtain structured control flow. These structuring building blocks may also be instrumental for describing real-life systems in analysis and design methodologies at any complexity level. While composition and branching are incorporated into most prevalent analysis and design methodologies, they lack the capability of explicitly expressing iteration and recursion. We propose a method for incorporating case statements, iteration and recursion into Object-Process Diagrams, which are the visual formalism used in the Object-Process Methodology. A detailed case study dealing with testing samples of raw metal powders used in an industrial process of manufacturing inserts by sintering technology demonstrates the mechanism of this visual formalism.