Using OCL to formalize object oriented metrics definitions

We propose to standardize object-oriented metrics definitions using the Object Constraint Language (OCL), a part of the Unified Modeling Language (UML) standard, and a meta-model of the modeling formalism. OCL allows specifying invariants, preconditions, postconditions and other types of constraints. To illustrate this approach, we describe the MOOD2 metrics in OCL, based upon the meta-model of our object design modeling formalism – the GOODLY language. The outcome is, we believe, an elegant, precise and straightforward way to define metrics that may help to overcome several current problems. Besides, it is a natural approach since we are using object technology to define metrics on object technology itself.This is the seminal paper of the MetaModel Driven Measurement approach (M2DM