[comp.software-eng] rapid prototyping

payne@bgsuvax.UUCP (Conrad R Payne) (03/23/89)

Hey gang,
	I was just curious about how widely rapid prototyping is used these days
for software development.  And further, at what levels is it used, req. specs,
delailed design, implementation, etc?  From what I've been able to read,
it's use has been confined to mostly relational database enviroments, and
to large user interface systems.  Is this the case?  Are rapid prototyping 
tools available for PC's ?  Anyway, thanks in advance.
			
					Conrad R Payne

shapiro@rb-dc1.UUCP (Mike Shapiro) (03/24/89)

In article <3889@bgsuvax.UUCP> payne@bgsuvax.UUCP (Conrad R Payne) writes:
>I was just curious about how widely rapid prototyping is used these days
>for software development.  And further, at what levels is it used, req. specs,
>delailed design, implementation, etc?  From what I've been able to read,
>it's use has been confined to mostly relational database enviroments, and
>to large user interface systems.  Is this the case?  Are rapid prototyping 
>tools available for PC's ?  Anyway, thanks in advance.
>			
>					Conrad R Payne

I used rapid prototypes during the early stages of requirements and
definitions on a recent project.  I then transformed some of the
screen images into code which was included in the product.

The tools I used (all on a PC clone) were Dan Bricklin's DEMO II
Program (a commercial package available from Peter Norton's company)
and a shareware package named TheDraw.

I have also used, in the past, a commercial package called C-Scape
from the Oakland Group.

I don't know how widely rapid prototyping is used, but I have had
success using it to define user interfaces for several PC products.
-- 

Michael Shapiro, Gould/General Systems Division (soon to be Encore)
15378 Avenue of Science, San Diego, CA 92128
(619)485-0910    UUCP: ...sdcsvax!ncr-sd!rb-dc1!shapiro