Notations for modelling multimedia systems

This report is one of the deliverables from the M3 (Modelling MultiMedia) project, which was funded by the EPSRC under the ROPA initiative. The other four reports from the project can be found in the references section under [BRI96 b - e]. The aim of this report is to provide some guidance for the developers in choosing notations for the modelling of multimedia systems. The report focuses both on work that has been carried out on modelling notations for traditional computer systems, and on the distinctive features of multimedia systems themselves. By examining multimedia in relation to the work that has already been carried out on modelling notations, we have been able to identify the characteristics of notations that make them especially appropriate for modelling multimedia systems. Developers, faced with the task of choosing a modelling notation for a multimedia system, can use the characteristics suggested here to evaluate different notations and to predict which notation will be the most effective as a modelling technique.