OBJECT-ORIENTED FINANCIAL DATABASE AND ANALYSIS SYSTEM

Abstract

Financial analysis applications have characteristics that are different from traditional applications. In the financial domain, the evolution of user's needs is diversified and fast. A financial analyst faces many different sources of information, needs new and more sophisticated services and a wide variety of tools that support different analysis techniques. This thesis studies the current states of financial statement analysis, object-oriented methodologies, and databases; and argues that the methodologies of object-oriented modeling and design, as well as databases are the best solutions for a financial analysis system. Object-oriented technology is a way of thinking abstractly about a problem using real world concepts, rather than computer concepts. Database technology can make a system more powerful, flexible, and extensible. Object-oriented and database technologies are then combined in this research work for the financial analysis. The resulting OFAS (Object-oriented Financial database and Analysis System) allows financial analysts lo work with familiar financial objects and financial tools. In the thesis, the object-oriented financial database and analysis system based on object-oriented methodology is presented. We describe the system details in three pans as follows First, the financial database design using an object-oriented methodology is stated. We begin with a thorough understanding of the problem domain. The requirement specifications from the conventional financial analysis application domain are discussed. Then the object-oriented analysis using object modeling technique (OMT) is presented and the object model for the financial analysis system is produced. The financial database design by object-oriented methodology is given, followed by the discussion of the integrity constraints for the database. We stress that the database structure must be flexible to be configured to any industry, any country, and any corporation, and reflect financial analysis task environment. Second, the financial analysis system design is discussed. Financial analysis users access the system by OFAS interface. The system consists of login module, object selection, schema editor, data manipulator, multimedia information retrieval, financial report generator and a financial statement analysis toolkit. In order to provide a simple interface and to keep the relationships among object classes well-defined in the object model, we constructed some major object classes in the object model as interface-object classes. Users just work on those interface object classes, which, as well as their attributes and operations, are defined in the thesis. A specific object is created for users by indicating the class name and its attributes. Then the relevant operations am associated with the object. Third, we implement an object-oriented financial analysis system based on the financial database. OFAS is set up on a client/server environment. Base-object classes and their attributes as well as operations are created on the server database, which are transparent to users. Interface-object classes are used and created on the client in order to provide a simple and user-friendly environment. Microsoft SQL Server on OS/2 is installed on the server. Applications created using Visual Basic is installed on the client linked to the server by LAN Manager.