Differentiate System Development Tools :
Modeling
Prototyping
Computer-Aided Systems Engineering (CASE) : :
Computer-aided software engineering (CASE) is the domain of software tools used to design and implement applications.
Purpose
CASE tools are used for designing hardware products.
tests system concepts and provides an opportunity to examine input, output, and user interfaces before final decisions are made.
CASE tools are used for developing high-quality, defect-free, and maintainable software.
CASE software is often associated with methods for the development of information systems together with automated tools that can be used in the software development process.
example:
Visible Analyst
Advantage
A network model describes the design and protocols of telecommunications links.
A prototype can serve as an initial model that is used as benchmark to evaluate the finished system, or the prototype itself can develop into the final version of the system.
Visible Systems Corporation is an important asset in the software development market. Also provides a full range of Help features, including the error message analysis screen
A process model describes the logic that programmers use to write code modules.
systems analysts construct and study information systems prototypes.
A business model, or requirements model, describes the information that a system must provide.
A data model describes data structure and design.
Prototyping speeds up the development process significantly
An object model describes objects, which combine data and processes.
Disadvantage
important decisions might be made too early, before business or IT issues are understood thoroughly
history
the early days of data processing, the entire focus of system development revolved around automating tedious manual business processes.
A prototype based on careful fact finding and modeling techniques, however can be an extremely valuable tool
During the system development life cycle (SDLC for short), the main effort was to produce a set of programs that automated a business process (Kabeli and Peretz, 2003).
Role
The goal of the data model is to make sure that the all data objects required by the database are completely and accurately represented
Rational Software
IBM offers many systems development and modelling products, including a powerful tool called Rational Systems Architect. Stress Modelling and Collaboration, and is suite of tools that can align process, information and technologies
Errors can be detected much earlier
Important to the database developers who employ it as a "blueprint" to build the physical database
Quicker user feedback is available leading to better solutions.
Leads to implementing and then repairing way of building systems
Data modeling important?
CASE Tools Types
Two core characteristics of a data model that make it so valuable: communication and precision
Definition
A prototype is an early working version of an information system.
Upper CASE Tools
When to use
Data model is a representation of the information requirements of an organization, it must truly reflect the data requirements of an enterprise.
Prototype model should be used when the desired system needs to have a lot of interaction with the end users.
Typically, online systems, web interfaces have a very high amount of interaction with end users, are best suited for Prototype model.
Produces a graphical representation of a concept or process that systems developers can analyze, test, and modify.
System analyst can describe and simplify an information system by using a set of business, data, object, network, and process models.
Prototyping ensures that the end users constantly work with the system and provide a feedback which is incorporated in the prototype to result in a useable system.
Lower CASE Tools
support coding phase
Integrated CASE Tools
also known as I-CASE support analysis, design and coding phases
click to edit