In evaluating
comptter-aided
software engi-
neering (CASE)
tools, it's impor-

tant to divide
them into cate-
gories that
match the func-
tional needs of
an organization.
Useful catego-
ries include the

tools capable of
generating 100 percent of the code for
an application from design specifi-
cations;
' nonintegrated tools that generate
fragments of an application but re-
guire some hand-generated code out-
side of the CASE tool;
€ tools that support an information
engineering methodology;
€ tools that support a structured engi-
neering methodology;
' tools that support; C code generation
for engineering workstations in a Unix
environmentand 2... š
' tools that support real-time appli-
cations.

The figure shows a series of gues-
tions that companies can ask to help
them determine how to categorize the
tools. The top-level guestion is: Does
the tool generate code for 100 percent
"of an application?

Integrated CASE tools fitting that
category are listed on the left side of
the diagram. Non-integrated tools that.
generate fragments of an application
are listed on the right.

"There are only a small number of in-
tegrated tools that provide tight inte-
gration between the front end and the

back end. Tightly integrated tools are
recommended to support rapid

prototyping methodologies.

Integrated CASE products on the left
sile vite dingram are further subdi-
vided into tools that support strategic
applications and those that are oriented
primarily toward project-level applica-
tions. Strategic applications that may be
used across divisions of an organization

The Company and the CASE Tool: Makin

prise modeling and business-area

The cholce betweeri a methodology
based on information engineering or

In spite of the high return on invest-
ment provided by integrated CASE
tools, there are many reasoris Why or-

ganizations should consider non-inte-

structured engineering may be dictated grated tools.

by the corporate culture for applications

development.

Structured engineering is a relatively

Ouestlons To Ask WHeH Choosing 4 CASE Tdol
Does the tool gerierate code fdF 140 percčnit an applicalloh? zi

lt yes, then ask:
EI

Will it be used to bulld strategic
or project-level applicatlons?

H strateg, li project -leval,
ikenit lhen (Lig aH:

(HEH
Integrated integrated
Intormatlon« siructured.
engineering tool englneeting tool

» CGI Systems
> Corlek Corp,'
» Pansophle
Systems j
» Sage Sofiware
" This tool is fully
integrated, but
does not support
ihformatlon br —;
structured
engineering.

a Mmowledipe Mare
: JEkss
Postrumerois

are best supported by an information
engineering methodology that works
top-down from enterprise models and
business-area analyses to the design of
individual projects.

Structured engineering is widely used
for the development; of project-level ap-
plications. It is generally not concerned
with higher-level issues such as enter-

lt tio, then ask:

m ita

Does the tool šlipbor all three
stietured etdlfičeriiig didgramš?

It yes lt tic, s
iii na: (Hen ILA š:

Nor-iktegraled Norriilagisted
strčtured- devaldpiment
engineštliej tool šid

s igdex Teehrolčtjy
|- Mebonnell Douglas;
s Oracle Corp.
SottLab System
Software AG 4
s Transtorm Logic
Unisys Cotp, ———
Yourdon Softwate

itan sj
čletXinoiGyj
— a Statiurd

Systems

simple methodology that's widely used
by many organizations. Information en-
gineering is a more complex methodolo-
gy that isn't as widely used. However,
information engineering is the recom-
mended methodology if strategic appli-
cations are to be built that will progres-
sively computerize all functions of the
organization.

- would substantially change the catego-

support these functions.
"Tools on the right side of the dia-
gram may be further subdivided by

port all three diagram types of struc-
tured engineering, including data-flow

entity-relationship diagrams?

Non-integrated tools that do not sup-

port the three basic diagram types are
typically used as niche products for a
portion of the development life cycle—
for example, data modeling, source-
code scanning and source-code restruc-
turi
The figure is oriented toward the se-

lection of CASE products to support
business applications in an IBM target
environment. Reguirements to support
other environments, such as Unix
support of real:time applications,

rization of CASE products.
Next week, I will discuss the future
evolution of CASE products. 8

The concepts embodied. in this article
are described in the CASE volume in
The James Martin Report Series. For
more information on this volume,
call (617) 639-1958. For information
on seminars, contact (in the United
States and Canada.) Technology
Transfer Institute, 741 10th St., San:
ta Monica, Calif. 90402 (213) 394-
8305. In Europe, contact Savant, 2
New St., Carnforth, Lancs., LA5 9BX
United Kingdom (0524) 734 505.

Continued from Page 57

real-time Unix operating system for his
assembly-line automation system, he ve-
toed it in favor of OS/2 to avoid being tied
to one vendor. "We wanted to use a gener-

Bl purpose operelig system lika OS/D dir

spondents, is that operating system's add:
ed horsepower— particularly its multi-
tasking capabilities and built-in communi-
cations and database support.

For Paul Morales, these bonuses trans:
lated into a powerful environment. in
which to create a front end to a main-
(rame-based Insurance policy system,

"We needed to do severni types of host,
sessions and have them up and running at
the same time," sald Morales, a senlor
project engineer at Eguitable Financial

a lfe-insurance company in New

Another enticement. to travel down the.
05/2 development path, according to re-

While 08/2 furnishes communications
capabilities for building cooperative-pro-
cessing applications, its real strength lies
in networking, according to some of the re-
spondents,

"Where OS/2 really shines is in LAN
support, becnuse we can easily connoct
08/2 machines to our Token:king net-
work," snid Greg Barnes, a programmer/
analyat for Farmland Ine,, a farm coopera-
tive [n Kansas City, Mo. This makes IL casi-
er lo distrihule commodities and market
information to 400 PCs on a local area
network, he said,

08/2's communlentions capabilities also
provide developers with an entry into the
malnframe world,

"We have an AS/400 [minicomputer]
nimi IM 3000 mninframes, ami providing
connectivity to (hose platforma is the lead-
lug renson to go to OS/2," snid Gregory
Brunet, a systems analyst for Waste Man:

agement lne., a waste trea
Oak Brook, Il. ee pelet in

While many respondents found 0S/2 de-
velopment, more time-consuming than ex-
pected, they said the operating system's
palette of programming tools and built-in
debugging facilities are far superior to
those of DOS,

"08/2 helped us to make a better-guali-
ty program," said Andrew Fischer, a pro-
grammer for Vector Software Inc., a soft-
ware developer in New York. "We found
buga under OS/2 that we would never
have found under DOS."

OS/2 is clearly meeting the needs of
some developers, yet a significant number
are still hesitant about moving over. The
biggest. hurdles, respondents noted, are the
initial investment in hardware upgrades
and incompatibilities with the stili-domi-
nant DOS world,

"We were developing in OS/2 but put it
aside because of incompatibility with
what we'd developed before," said Alon

"A partner in Alon Miller Associates,
a consulting firm in Staten Island, N.Y.

Migration ! More Firms Traveling the OS/2 Development Path

While users expect: these issues to be
resolved in the next few years, several are
eying Microsoft Corp.s Windows as a
short-term alternative because of its
graphical user interface and limited multi:
tasking abilities.

"We'e going to Windows whole-hog in
the short term," said Steve Silver, a vice
president at. Chase Manhattan Bank in
New York. "There's less resistance to
putting a GUI over DOS." ;

Other respondents said they prefer to
wait for 08/2 version 2.0, the full 32-bit, im-
plementation of the operating system
that's due later this year.

"I look to OS/2 2.0 to be the first OS/2
that users will want, because they can get.
to it easily," said Rick Stuckey, a partner in
Andersen Consulting, the Chicago-based
consulting arm of accounting firm Arthur
Andersen 8% Co.

"Hardware won't be as expensive," he
said, "and faster processors will bring

down the cost of 0S/2 machines," B

g the Match

Current integrated tools do not sup-
port C code generation, the Unix envi-
ronment, real-time applications, trace-
ability and other important functions.
Several of the non-integrated tools do

asking the guestion: Does the tool sup-

diagrams, decomposition diagrams and