Predesign

Predesign A prototyping stage Aims of prototyping Last validation of requirements Discovery of new requirements Making of design decisions Applications Database

Deliverables Design Pre-Design Physical Design of Database Physical Design of Applications Pre-Design Standards for GUI, Coding, Naming Conceptual Application Design Plan for Design of DB and Applications

Traditional View of Designer Typical Use of Designer Transform Functions into Modules Develop Modules into Rough Shape in Designer Generate Forms Develop forms in Developer Never look back Application Lost to Designer

Prototyping Approach ‘Capture Design of Form/Report’ utilities capture work done in Developer (except layout) Application can be regenerated instead of reprogrammed Changes to Database can also be Captured

Benefits of Generation Implementation stays connected to requirements and design Redesign (maintenance) much less costly Look & Feel modification much easier

Prototyping Steps Create rough versions of tables, modules, module network with DDT and ADT Generate Database w/o Modification Generate ‘Throw-away’ Forms to Populate Database with Sample Data. Create Basic Structure of Modules in Designer

Prototyping Steps (2) Set Generator Preferences to Establish Design Standards Generate Forms/Reports Use Prototype: Modify Forms/Reports in Developer Modify Database Capture Changes back into Design

Capturing DB Changes Experimentation with prototype results in DB modifications Manual Capture of Changes: Delete extra repository columns Delete unused repository tables Capture design of server New tables New columns

Capturing Application Changes New form or existing form with new code: ‘Capture Design of Form’ utility. Slightly modified or combined or deleted form: make changes manually in RON or DE. Navigation Changes: Manually modify module structure.

Tracking Requirements Are we doing everything that needs to be done? Tracked requirements to functions User extensibility Now track them again to modules. User extensibility manually Via Repository API script