Chapter 7 CASE Tools and Joint and Rapid Application Development

SAD/CHAPTER 72 Learning Objectives Understand the history and evolution of CASE tools Understand the motivations to adopt CASE in the modern organization Understand the various levels of CASE tool integration

SAD/CHAPTER 73 Learning Objectives Appreciate the advantages and disadvantages associated with CASE tool adoption and use Learn the components, relationships, and functions contained in a modern CASE tool Understand the processes associated with JAD

SAD/CHAPTER 74 Learning Objectives Learn the various participant roles associated with a JAD session Understand the relationship between the RAD approach and the traditional SDLC

SAD/CHAPTER 75 Introduction In an effort to improve the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the development activities, IS professionals have developed several tools and techniques to automate certain activities. This chapter focuses on two such developments: (1) CASE tools and (2) RAD techniques.

SAD/CHAPTER 76 CASE Tools Computer-Aided Software Engineering (CASE) Software development is extremely labor intensive Tools that aid software engineer in maintaining and developing software

SAD/CHAPTER 77 Figure 7-1. Recent Evolution of the Modern CASE Tool

SAD/CHAPTER 78 Table 7-1. Development Costs for Several Modern Software Applications

SAD/CHAPTER 79 CASE Tools Support each phase of the SDLC Upper CASE support the early phases of the life cycle Lower CASE support the implementation phases of the life cycle Life-cycle-spanning CASE support the entire SDLC (Integrated CASE)

SAD/CHAPTER 710 Table 7-2. Common Objectives for CASE Tool Adoption

SAD/CHAPTER 711 Figure 7-2. Oracle Designer Main Menu

SAD/CHAPTER 712 CASE Tools Good News Productivity Time Quality Documentation Standards enforcement

SAD/CHAPTER 713 CASE Tools Bad News Expensive ROI is longer than the organization would prefer Lack of organizational policies and standards

SAD/CHAPTER 714 Table 7-3. Potential CASE Tool Cost Categories

SAD/CHAPTER 715 Table 7-4. Sample CASE Tool Adoption Budget

SAD/CHAPTER 716 Table 7-5. The Good News and the Bad News About CASE Tool Adoption

SAD/CHAPTER 717 Components and Functions Central Repository Central storage and retrieval location for all related information Allows portions of prior systems to be reused in new applications

SAD/CHAPTER 718 Figure 7-3. Component Relationships in Modern I-CASE Tools

SAD/CHAPTER 719 Figure 7-4. Typical Elements Stored in CASE Tool Central Repository

SAD/CHAPTER 720 Components and Functions Modeling and Diagramming Tools Process Modeling Tools Function Hierarchy Diagramming Tools Server Modeling Diagramming Tools

SAD/CHAPTER 721 Figure 7-5. Case Tool Process Modeler (Oracle Designer)

SAD/CHAPTER 722 Figure 7-6. CASE Tool Server Model Diagram (Oracle Designer)

SAD/CHAPTER 723 Figure 7-7. Typical Data Flow Diagramming Tool (TurboCASE)

SAD/CHAPTER 724 Figure 7-8. CASE Tool Entity-Relationship Modeler (Oracle Designer)

SAD/CHAPTER 725 Components and Functions Prototyping and Transformation Tools Application Transformers Database Transformers Form and Report Generators

SAD/CHAPTER 726 Components and Functions Documentation Generators Generate phase-specific documentation Create a set of master templates to be used for each phase of the life cycle

SAD/CHAPTER 727 Components and Functions Code Generators Produce high-level source code from various components in the central repository Reverse engineering: generate design specification and models from existing program Reengineering functions: provide tools to analyze the logic of the program

SAD/CHAPTER 728 Figure 7-9. Sample Screen From Classmapper Reverse Engineering Tool

SAD/CHAPTER 729 Figure UNIX-based Application Before Reverse Engineering

SAD/CHAPTER 730 Figure Windows Application After Reverse Engineering

SAD/CHAPTER 731 Figure Sample Screen From Imagix Reengineering Tool

SAD/CHAPTER 732 Components and Functions The concept of Integration Data Integration Control Integration Presentation Integration

SAD/CHAPTER 733 Figure Stages of CASE Tool Integration

SAD/CHAPTER 734 The Future of CASE New and more powerful development tools Artificial Intelligence (AI) Expert Systems Case-based reasoning

SAD/CHAPTER 735 Joint Application Design Bring together the users, managers, and technical personnel to conduct a series of structured intensive information-gathering workshops Enhance the development of a shared understanding among the system stakeholders

SAD/CHAPTER 736 JAD Session Usually held at a location other than the typical workplace Avoid distracting environment Detailed agenda is a necessity

SAD/CHAPTER 737 Figure Examples of Large-Scale JAD Environments

SAD/CHAPTER 738 JAD Team JAD Facilitator Management Sponsor Information Specialists Scribe End Users

SAD/CHAPTER 739 JAD Session Tasks and Objectives Identify all stakeholders and clarify executive goal. Scope out general requirements from each of the users' perspectives. Reconcile and then summarize each user's view of the product with the executive goal. Define interaction of the product with users, other products or systems, and the organization. Concur on business justification, time box, and cost box for project.

SAD/CHAPTER 740 JAD Session Tasks and Objectives Define ways in which users will interact with or use the new product. Collect samples of desired inputs and outputs from users. Stick to business processes first, then drill down for data needed and known. Prioritize user interaction scenarios by collective user preference and risk. Validate and review the user interaction scenarios. Organize the interactions scenarios, constraints, assumptions, and other requirements into a rigorous Software Requirements Specification.

SAD/CHAPTER 741 JAD Advantages Create a sense of involvement Allow for the simultaneous gathering and consolidating of information Resolve discrepancies at early stage

SAD/CHAPTER 742 JAD Disadvantages Extreme commitment of a large number of employees Might still exclude some important personnel Lack of diplomacy and communication skills among employees

SAD/CHAPTER 743 Rapid Application Development A series of techniques to compress the analysis, design, build, and test phases into a series of short, iterative development cycles

SAD/CHAPTER 744 Application Development with RAD Approach Use of small, well-trained development teams Construction and review of iterative, evolutionary prototypes Reliance on integrated development tools that support modeling, prototyping, and component re- usability (CASE) Construction and maintenance of a central repository Heavy reliance on interactive requirements and design workshops (JAD) Adherence to rigid limits on development time frames

SAD/CHAPTER 745 Figure Differences Between Traditional Lifecycle and RAD Approach

SAD/CHAPTER 746 Figure Comparison of Phases Between SDLC and RAD

SAD/CHAPTER 747 RAD Activities Process Model Data Model Parallel Development

SAD/CHAPTER 748 Table 7-8. Activities and Deliverables in RAD Phases

SAD/CHAPTER 749 Table 7-9. Situational Characteristics to Consider When Adopting RAD

SAD/CHAPTER 750 Table Comparison of the Advantages and Disadvantages Associated with the RAD Approach

SAD/CHAPTER 7 - END -51 Figure Comparison of Effort and Time Between SDLC and RAD

SAD/CHAPTER 752 Chapter Summary Regardless of the various approaches (CASE, JAD, RAD), the fundamental tenets of structured problem solving as followed by SDLC still apply and must be adhered to. Despite the automation available to us, the analyst is still at the center of the process.

Chapter 7 End of Chapter