An object/message model for the development of integrated workstation software

There is a need for expandable, integrated workstation environments which are simple and straight-forward to use but which can be modified to accommodate a particular user's needs. In this paper, a model is proposed for the development of integrated workstation software. Integration is achieved through message passing and by encapsulating information in objects. The applications communicate with a mediator rather than each other. The mediator has descriptions of the objects being transferred and can carry out intermediate operations on the data when necessary. This paper introduces the basic concepts of the model, and briefly discusses a prototype and the future implications of this approach.