Software development has a cycle which, if properly managed, can result in high quality products written in the least amount of time. However, improperly managed software development projects can result in cost overruns, poor quality programming, dissatisfied users, demoralized programmers, and put the viability of the software development at risk. There are many configuration management approaches and application development tools which have been developed to assist in the software development process, but the success of any of these is dependent on their implementation and the willingness of the supporting organization to embrace their use. One of the most widely touted tools available to software developers is Computer Aided Software Engineering (CASE), which includes system integration as well as software design and analysis of methodologies. This research examines CASE technology and how companies can benefit from its implementation.
CASE software automates many of the functions that system designers and programmers must perform. Analysts can use CASE to generate flow chart symbols by using a mouse to designate symbol choices and screen positions, and create data dictionaries through the labeling of processes. In some products, data dictionary entries are automatically made with many of the fields filled in based on the development environment. Process description at a detailed level (such as structured English) can allow automatic generation of program code based on algorithms entered by the developer, and prototype models can also be generated in most CASE software products (Martin, 1995, p. 54).
Computer Aided Software Engineering (CASE) can be described as a collection of tools used in the software development process (Simon, 1993, p. 6). Each stage in the software development lifecycle has different tool requirements, and CASE products provide tools for each stage. Interaction modes vary depending on the tools ...