dswt@stl.stc.co.uk (Stewart Tansley) (10/24/90)
What do folks recommend in the way of CASE (Computer-Aided Software
Engineering) on Macs, where the main emphasis is on a convenient way of
producing dataflow diagrams, rather than some whopping project support
environment?
ie. We just need a 'higher level' or more appropriate tool to draw
diagrams like dataflows (perhaps some others), rather than MacDraw II,
say. Any ideas?
We have seen 'Designer Draw' -- posted to the net a while ago now.
Anyone seen any progress, as it needed polishing? Also we have
heared of 'MacFlow' -- or was this a dream? Does it do anything apart
from flow-charts though?
Commercial or shareware considered.
Thanks for any help!
===========================================================================
Stewart Tansley | STC Technology Ltd | 'Be cool, or be
| London Rd, Harlow, CM17 9NA, UK | cast out...'
dswt@stl.stc.co.uk | +44 279 429531 x2763 | Subdivisions, Rush
===========================================================================
'You know how that rabbit feels - going under your spinning wheels...'
===========================================================================fwb@demon.siemens.com (Frederic W. Brehm) (10/24/90)
In article <3644@stl.stc.co.uk> "Stewart Tansley" <dswt@stl.stc.co.uk> writes: >What do folks recommend in the way of CASE (Computer-Aided Software >Engineering) on Macs, where the main emphasis is on a convenient way of >producing dataflow diagrams, rather than some whopping project support >environment? About a year and a half ago, I got demo copies of both MacBubbles and TurboCASE. I also tried Design! (I think that's the name) on another Mac in the department. I purchased TurboCASE. MacBubbles demo followed the Mac interface style quite well, but crashed my IIcx and did other strange things. It also required you to use two different programs: one for drawing data flow diagrams and another for defining items in the data dictionary. This was a major drawback. MacBubbles drew the prettiest DFD's on the laser printer. TurboCASE had a better analysis and reporting capability than MacBubbles, and it also integrated in one program DFD drawing, the data dictionaries, minispecs, and now Entity-Relationship, flow charts, state diagrams, decision tables, and a few other minor methods. TurboCASE has its own style of user interface. It's not any better or worse than Apple's style, but it is different. A big drawback to TurboCASE is that the non-demo copy requires a dongle (a hardware gizmo attached to the ADB) and an INIT file named "EvE INIT" to talk to the dongle. I had some compatibility problems with it until I renamed it " Eve INIT". I have also had some intermittent problems with TurboCASE insisting that the stupid thing is not attached, even when I can see it attached between my keyboard and the computer. In spite of the unMac-like interface and the (#$&#()$#$( dongle, TurboCASE is a good program. The initial cost was about $1000 and the first year of support was free. After that, upgrades have cost $50. Design! (please excuse me if I got the name wrong. I'm sure someone will correct me.) is good only for drawing bubbles, boxes, and arrows. There are some add-on modules that perform some CASE analysis, but they are VERY expensive. I don't think they had DeMarco-style DFD analysis at the time I called them to ask. I don't know if those programs are available on your side of the big pond. TurboCASE is brought to you (well, at least to me) by StructSoft, Inc. 5416 156th Ave. S.E. Bellevue, WA 98006 (206)-644-9834 Disclaimer: I have no interest in the companies that make this software. Fred -- Frederic W. Brehm Siemens Corporate Research Princeton, NJ fwb@demon.siemens.com -or- ...!princeton!siemens!demon!fwb
fjo@mtcchi.uucp (2667-Frank Owen(ZG90210)0000) (10/24/90)
dswt@stl.stc.co.uk (Stewart Tansley) writes: >What do folks recommend in the way of CASE (Computer-Aided Software >Engineering) on Macs, where the main emphasis is on a convenient way of There is a package called "TurboCase" (why do they have to use such glitzy names?) by a company called StructSoft. (phone 206-644-9834) They have a demo disk availible. This package comes as close to the workstation-based CASE tools that I have seen. It is a fairly complete package providing tools to draw and verify DFDs according to most of the popular methodologies (Yourdon/DeMarco,Gane/Sarson,Hatley/Pirbhai etc.) Also included are tools to draw entity-relationship diags, structure charts, state-transition diagrams, mini-specs and flow charts. Most of these can be tied together via a Data dictionary, that is maintained for your project. -- Frank Owen (fjo@mtcchi.uucp) 708-305-3182 Memorex-Telex Corporation Indian Hill Court 1000 E. Warrenville Rd. RM 1A315 Naperville, Il 60563
hermens@groucho (10/26/90)
In article <1990Oct24.151523.5290@mtcchi.uucp> fjo@mtcchi.uucp (2667-Frank Owen(ZG90210)0000) writes: >dswt@stl.stc.co.uk (Stewart Tansley) writes: > >>What do folks recommend in the way of CASE (Computer-Aided Software >>Engineering) on Macs, where the main emphasis is on a convenient way of > >There is a package called "TurboCase" (why do they have to use such >glitzy names?) by a company called StructSoft. (phone 206-644-9834) >They have a demo disk availible. This package comes as close to the >workstation-based CASE tools that I have seen. It is a fairly complete >package providing tools to draw and verify DFDs according to most of >the popular methodologies (Yourdon/DeMarco,Gane/Sarson,Hatley/Pirbhai >etc.) Also included are tools to draw entity-relationship diags, >structure charts, state-transition diagrams, mini-specs and flow charts. >Most of these can be tied together via a Data dictionary, that is >maintained for your project. > >-- > Frank Owen (fjo@mtcchi.uucp) 708-305-3182 > Memorex-Telex Corporation Indian Hill Court > 1000 E. Warrenville Rd. RM 1A315 > Naperville, Il 60563 And the company keeps improving it...it gets better and better with each update. (Very nice.) Leonard -- Leonard Hermens Department of Computer Science University of Idaho Moscow, ID 83843