ewm@mdavcr.UUCP (Eric W. Mitchell) (10/27/90)
In article <1990Oct24.151523.5290@mtcchi.uucp> fjo@mtcchi.uucp (2667-Frank Owen(ZG90210)0000) writes: >There is a package called "TurboCase" (why do they have to use such >glitzy names?) by a company called StructSoft. (phone 206-644-9834) We've used TurboCASE quite extensively on everything from small to quite large (multi-million dollar) projects. The response of our engineers to the tool has been quite mixed. The tool has a pretty good set of features, supporting Yourdon/DeMarco, etc. IMPORTANT NOTE: ============== I am more familiar with the various problems with the tool than with the advantages. I was handed the job of collecting all the bug reports and sending them to StructSoft (the authors). This "review" is therefore somewhat one-sided. Do not get the impression that the product is all bad. We have found it quite useful, and intend to continue using it. Problems: A sample of some of our problems follows ======== - Crashes frequently (version 2.02). Users found that it went down sometimes several times per session. Data files on disk were often left corrupted and in an unusable state after a crash. Does not make backup of file when it is opened, so you really should leave the program frequently and manually back up your file. This was definitely the most serious problem we had with the tool. Note: We just recently received an upgrade to 2.05, so the reliability may have improved. - Most people who used it had complaints about the user interface. It does not follow the Mac standard, but this was not significant for most of our users, since they were not Mac people anyway. The methods used for selecting diagrams, changing bubble parameters, etc, involved many more steps (ie: menu selections, button clicks, keyboard entries) than were necessary or reasonable. For example, selecting a DFD from a list of existing diagrams required: - 1 menu selection - 5 mouse clicks - A keyboard entry (an `*' in a search field) The function could have been accomplished with: - 1 menu selection - A double-click This is one example of many similiar interface problems. Overall, the tool is still usable, but much slower and more awkward than it could be. - You cannot change the default font of the data flows. You can set the font of a bubble/store/etc before you create it, but you cannot change it later. The default fonts are not laser fonts, and print quite poorly. We found it necessary to export all the diagrams as PICT files and use MacDraw or SuperPaint to change all the fonts to Helvetica or Times. - A user can select a group of bubbles, and move the group so that one of the bubbles is out of the work area ("off the page"). The bubble is then totally isolated, and cannot be deleted. It only shows when you print (!). The only way to get rid of it is to copy the visible diagram to another DFD, and delete the original. - Text is often placed poorly when creating or moving flows. - TurboCASE does not check nesting of Data definitions beyond the first level. Summary: ======= The product is a pretty good buy for the money when compared to other products on the market. It is not as powerful as Teamwork, but it also doesn't cost $15,000. In general, I haven't seen anything (on the Mac anyway - I don't use PCs much) that beats the product for features. The user interface could use some real reworking. Right now, the product does not have a professional feel (there are even some menu items spelled incorrectly!). We have brought the various problems above, and others, to the attention of StructSoft. They appear quite responsive to our concerns. It has only been a couple of weeks since we talked to them, however, so it remains to be seen how much improvement we will see.
hermens@groucho (10/27/90)
In article <1051@mdavcr.UUCP> ewm@mdavcr.UUCP (Eric W. Mitchell) writes: >In article <1990Oct24.151523.5290@mtcchi.uucp> fjo@mtcchi.uucp (2667-Frank Owen(ZG90210)0000) writes: >>There is a package called "TurboCase" (why do they have to use such >>glitzy names?) by a company called StructSoft. (phone 206-644-9834) > >I am more familiar with the various problems with the tool than with the >advantages. I was handed the job of collecting all the bug reports and >sending them to StructSoft (the authors). > >This "review" is therefore somewhat one-sided. Do not get the >impression that the product is all bad. We have found it quite useful, >and intend to continue using it. > >Problems: A sample of some of our problems follows >======== > >- Crashes frequently (version 2.02). Users found that it went down > sometimes several times per session. Data files on disk were often > left corrupted and in an unusable state after a crash. Does not > make backup of file when it is opened, so you really should leave > the program frequently and manually back up your file. > > This was definitely the most serious problem we had with the tool. > > Note: We just recently received an upgrade to 2.05, so the > reliability may have improved. LATEST VERSION IS NOW 2.10 AND MANY CHANGES HAVE BEEN MADE. (other comments from original post deleted here) > >Summary: >======= > >The product is a pretty good buy for the money when compared to other >products on the market. It is not as powerful as Teamwork, but it also >doesn't cost $15,000. (TURBOCASE ISN'T AS SLOW AND COMBERSOME, EITHER.) >In general, I haven't seen anything (on the Mac anyway - I don't use PCs >much) that beats the product for features. The user interface could use >some real reworking. Right now, the product does not have a >professional feel (there are even some menu items spelled incorrectly!). SPELLING IS ONE THING THAT I NOTICED WHEN I REVIEWED TURBOCASE, IT WAS SOMEWHAT ANNOYING. BUT THERE ARE CHANGES IN THE WORKS. > >We have brought the various problems above, and others, to the attention of >StructSoft. They appear quite responsive to our concerns. It has only >been a couple of weeks since we talked to them, however, so it remains >to be seen how much improvement we will see. STRUCTSOFT IS *VERY* RESPONSIVE TO USER NEEDS AND HAS ENCOURAGED INPUT FROM ALL FRONTS. IT IS GOOD TO SEE CONSTRUCTIVE COMMENTS LIKE THESE TO MAKE PRODUCTS BETTER! (sure beats the flaming that has taken place recently). -- Leonard Hermens Department of Computer Science University of Idaho Moscow, ID 83843