ABSTRACT
Software process modelling has assumed considerable importance in discussions of software engineering. In particular attention has been paid to the use of software process modelling in the construction of software development environments. Essentially, software process modelling is the construction of an abstract description of the activities by which software is developed. In the area of software development environments the focus is on models that are enactable, that is executable, interpretable or amenable to automated reasoning. Marvel is based on experience with a multi-user programming environment called Smile. In Smile the description of the programming process was ‘hard-coded’ into the environment. Marvel generalises this approach by providing support for the definition and enaction of software process models. To construct a Marvel environment the developer must produce a data model and a process model. The data model describes the objects to be managed during the process of software development and their properties.
