IEEE/ISO/IEC 31320-2-2012

The semantics and syntax of IDEF1X, a language used to represent a conceptual schema, are described. Two styles of IDEF1X model are described. 1. The key style is used to produce information models that represent the structure and semantics of data within an enterprise and is backward-compatible with the US government's Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) PUB 184, Integration Definition for Information Modeling (IDEF1X). 2. The identity style is used to produce object models that represent the knowledge, behaviour, and rules of the concepts within an enterprise. It can be used as a growth path for key-style models. The identity style can, with suitable automation support, be used to develop a model that is an executable prototype of the target object-oriented system..

This purpose of this standard is to describe the IDEF1X language in an unambiguous manner and thereby meet two important needs. First, those who develop and use IDEF1X models need a common understanding of the modeling constructs and rules. A precise definition of the meaning of the language components allows a model developed by one individual or group to be understood by anotherre. Second, IDEF1X users must be supported in practice by automated tools that record and validate the models. Tool developers need a precise definition of the language so that their products assist users in applying the language correctly and allow exchange of models, at the semantic level, with other tools. The purpose of IDEF1X as a modeling technique is the same as that of all modeling techniques employed in system analysis and development efforts, that is, to plan, build, or use systems and information systems in particular, it helps to understand the meaning of the concepts involved. Modeling provides a “language” for meanings and is sometimes referred to as closing the semantic gap between the concepts of the enterprise and the capabilities of the computer systems. Figure 1 summarizes the fundamental purpose of a model: to enable accurate and useful communication among users, analysts, and developers as they all reason about the same thing.

Adoption Standard - Active. IDEF1X97 consists of two conceptual modeling languages. The key-style language supports data/information modeling and is downward compatible with the US government’s 1993 standard, FIPS PUB 184. The identity-style language is based on the object model with declarative rules and constraints. IDEF1X97 identity style includes constructs for the distinct but related components of object abstraction: interface, requests, and realization; utilizes graphics to state the interface; and defines a declarative, directly executable Rule and Constraint Language for requests and realizations. IDEF1X97 conceptual modeling supports implementation by relational databases, extended relational databases, object databases, and object programming languages. IDEF1X97 is formally defined in terms of first order logic. A procedure is given whereby any valid IDEF1X97 model can be transformed into an equivalent theory in first order logic. That procedure is then applied to a meta model of IDEF1X97 to define the valid set of IDEF1X97 models.