Granular computing as a methodology of problem solving has been extensively applied in a variety of fields for a long history, but the special research interest in granular computing has only been developed in past decades. So far most granular computing researchers address the mathematical foundation and/or the computation model of granular computing. However, granular computing is not only a computing model for computer-centered problem solving, but also a thinking model for human-centered problem solving. Fortunately, some authors have presented the structures of such kind models and investigated various perspectives of granular computing from different application points of views. In this paper we present the principles, models, components, strategies, and applications of granular computing. Our focus will be on the applications of granular computing in various aspects and phases of the object-oriented software development process, including user requirement specification and analysis, software system analysis and design, algorithm design, structured programming, software testing, and system deployment design. Our objective is to reveal the importance and usefulness of granular computing as a human-centered problem solving strategy in object-oriented software development process.
Industrial problem solving using multiple databases
