dmcintee@netxcom.UUCP (01/12/88)
Numerous products have come on the market in recent years in the category of Computer-Aided Software Engineering (CASE). These are systems for building systems. CASE tools aid systems developers in the creation and validation of various types of diagrams. Techniques include DeMarco/Gane and Sarson dataflow diagrams, state-transition charts, structure charts, Chen or Martin entity-relationship diagrams, and others. Some even allow you to define your own symbols and modeling rules to set up your own diagramming techniques. These tools represent, for a Macintosh user, a paradox: They are all graphics applications - with mouse, icons, windows, menu bars - and they all run on IBM PCs. (This is a slight exaggeration, as there are a handful running on VAX/VMS, UNIX and IBM MVS, but the vast majority run under MS-DOS.) What adds to the puzzlement is that these are CPU- and memory-intensive applications; some won't boot in 640KB of memory, while others "will run on a 286 machine, but we URGE you to consider a 386- based platform". So why isn't the Macintosh at the fore, or moving to be, in this market? If you have information or comments, please mail to me; I would be delighted to be proven incorrect. I'll summarize any responses. -- Dave McIntee NetExpress Communications, Inc. Phone: (703)749-2380 1953 Gallows Road, Suite 300 uucp: uunet!netxcom!dmcintee Vienna, VA 22180
kge@hpsmtc1.HP.COM (Kevin Ewert) (01/13/88)
I have just begun to test a demonstration version of PowerTools, a CASE
system from Iconix Software Engineering, Inc. This package was reviewed
in the December MacWorld, and does appear to do all that it claims,
although, as I said, I haven't spent enough time with the demo version
to have exercised it thoroughly. In addition to several of the
PowerTools applications, the demo disk comes with a HyperCard stack that
provides an interactive overview to the package.
To quote from the glossies I received from them:
PowerTools accepts systems requirements from the user and allows
the user to construct:
* Data and control flow diagrams
* Process specifications
* Data dictionary
* State transition diagrams, table, and matrices
* Structure charts
* Formatted pseudocode listings
* Program source code
* Consistency reports (e.g. DFD/CFD checking)
The only major drawback that I have noticed so far is that the package is
single user, that is, multiple person projects can only be done by all
project personnel using the same Mac. The person I talked with at Iconix
claimed that a network version would be available in the spring.
If you're at all serious about using CASE tools and want to leverage the
ease of use of the Mac, I would recommend looking into PowerTools. The
address:
Iconix Software Engineering, Inc.
1037 Third Street
Suite 105
Santa Monica, CA 90403
(213) 458-0092
I also recall seeing an ad in the January 88 MacWorld for another CASE
package, but I can't remember any other details.
I have no connection to Iconix, other than an interest in CASE tools.
Kevin Ewert
...!hplabs!hpda!kge
(408) 447-7359chow@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu (Christopher Chow) (01/13/88)
In article <631@netxcom.UUCP> dmcintee@netxcom.UUCP (Dave McIntee) writes: > > CASE tools aid systems developers in the creation and validation >of various types of diagrams. Techniques include DeMarco/Gane and Sarson >dataflow diagrams, state-transition charts, structure charts, Chen or >Martin entity-relationship diagrams, and others. Some even allow you to >define your own symbols and modeling rules to set up your own diagramming >techniques. > ... >based platform". So why isn't the Macintosh at the fore, or moving to be, >in this market? > Actually, I just returned from a plant trip to a large corporation with several engineering departments. I was kind of dissappointed as I realized early in the visit that most of the departments are using IBM PCs if they were using any sort of PC's at all. What a rude introduction to the real world :-) But a bit later that day, a department I visited was filled with Mac SE's! And, they were doing CASE work on the SE's...unfortunately, I forgot the name of the package, but from looking at the printed output it looked pretty capable. Apparently, it was pretty difficult for them to get the SE + Laserwriter combination since the company is primarily into IBM's, but that department felt that the SE/LaserWriter combo works better than the IBM PC equvalent. Christopher Chow /---------------------------------------------------------------------------\ | Internet: chow@tcgould.tn.cornell.edu (128.84.248.35 or 128.84.253.35) | | Usenet: ...{uw-beaver|ihnp4|decvax|vax135}!cornell!batcomputer!chow | | Bitnet: chow@crnlthry.bitnet | | Phone: 1-201-836-3673 Address: 671 Forest Avenue, Teaneck, NJ 07666 | | Delphi: chow2 PAN: chow | \---------------------------------------------------------------------------/
mmt@dciem.UUCP (Martin Taylor) (01/21/88)
> > CASE tools aid systems developers in the creation and validation >of various types of diagrams. Techniques include DeMarco/Gane and Sarson >dataflow diagrams, state-transition charts, structure charts, Chen or >Martin entity-relationship diagrams, and others. Some even allow you to >define your own symbols and modeling rules to set up your own diagramming >techniques. > >These tools represent, for a Macintosh user, a paradox: They are >all graphics applications - with mouse, icons, windows, menu bars - and >they all run on IBM PCs. ... >So why isn't the Macintosh at the fore, or moving to be, >in this market? There exists an entity-relationship design and query tool for the Mac: ERVision, by Andyne Computing, Kingston, Ontario (613) 548-4355, or djr@zorac.arpa or djr@dciem.uucp. ERVision is one of a set of three "Active Network" interfaces with essentially the same interface to widely different applications. The second is ACPVision, which is a MASCOT design tool for concurrent processes, and the third is ATNVision, for developing ATN networks. ERVision is commercially available (I think about $150 US), ACPVision is something like Beta test, but I don't know whether it is intended to be commercial, and ATNVision is Alpha test and probably will not be commercialized (unless there is a demand). Disclaimer: I contracted with Andyne to have these developed, and was closely concerned with many of the design decisions, but have no financial connection with them other than through the contract. I would be happy to see them used (and commented on), but don't contact me about them. Doug Ross (djr) is the one to talk to. -- Martin Taylor {allegra,linus,ihnp4,floyd,ubc-vision}!utzoo!dciem!mmt {uw-beaver,qucis,watmath}!utcsri!dciem!mmt mmt@zorac.arpa Magic is just advanced technology ... so is intelligence. Before computers, the ability to do arithmetic was proof of intelligence. What proves intelligence now?