The conceptual modeling approach of the IPSEN (Integrated Project Support Environment) project for building highly integrated environments is based on using attributed graphs to model and implement arbitrary object structures, in particular all kinds of software documents and their relationships. A language based on graph grammars, called PROGRESS (PROgrammed Graph REwriting SyStems), and a suitable method for the application of this language, called graph grammar engineering, have been developed over the last ten years. This language and method are being extensively used for specifying the complex graph structures of internal document representations as well as for specifying the functionality of all tools (editors, browsers, analyzers, debuggers) working on these internal rpresentations. This paper explains the language and the method for applying the language based on a pragmatic nontrivial example of a software production process and its corresponding documents. In particular, it is shown why and how a graph grammar-based strongly typed language is perfectly suitable to formally specify highly integrated software tools. In addition, it is shown that the implementation of these tools (i.e., an environment composed of these tools) is systematically being derived from the formal specifications.

OOPS is an object-oriented programming environment with integrated data management facilities. It is designed to especially support advanced applications, like engineering and office applications. Rich data modeling facilities, including the concepts of classification, generalization, and aggregation are provided. Additionally, complex semantic integrity constraints, exception-handling mechanisms, and triggers can be specified. Since all these facilities are integrated into a single language, the artificial distinction between database language and programming language is no longer existent. The main features of the programming language and the architecture of OOPS are presented.>