Prototype, Software Design, Software Engineering, and System Development

Some software development groups have little understanding about the prerequisites for successful prototyping. There are two approaches to prototyping: requirements prototyping and evolutionary development. In requirements prototyping, a prototype is used to define an initial solution to the prolem, while in evolutionary development, the prototype becomes the center of the developing system. Regardless of the prototyping approach, the result is a model used as a mechanism to define the final system solution.

Telecommunications Industry, Performance, Prototype, Software Engineering, and System Development

AT&T Communications has made considerable productivity gains by utilizing application prototyping with Cullinet Software Inc.'s ADS-Online development language. On the average, the productivity rate was tripled for fifteen communications applications developed during the last eighteen months. An additional sixteen communications applications have been developed, besides the fifteen in production. AT&T Communications has confidence in prototyping and believes that prototyping works.

Prototype, Simulation of Computer Systems, Software Engineering, Computer Software Industry, and Software Garden Inc. -- Product introduction

Dan Bricklin, one of the developers of Visicalc, has started Software Garden Inc., a one-man company. The Dan Bricklin Demo Program, a prototyping device for personal computer software, is an apparent success with early users. The Demo Program allows users to produce program simulations or tutorials for programs. Also, users have the ability to generate a product before it exists, and present it to OEMs and demonstrate it.

Applications Backlog, Backlog, Fourth Generation, Prototype, System Development, Software Engineering, and MIS

Because of the tremendous demand for specific computer applications in companies, management information systems (MIS) managers are years behind in completing applications for users. Fourth generation languages can be used to prototype applications so that development time is shortened and satisfaction with the final product is greater. By making a prototype of the application before actually creating it, MIS managers find that the end users are happier since they take a part in the development process, the program is better suited for its intended purpose, and there is less user training required. One company had a 60 percent increase in productivity in the data processing department after it switched to a fourth generation development system, and the inclusion of end users in the development process helped in almost all respects of application creation. A graph indicates increases in logic and functionality in a system through prototyping and interactive development.

Prototype, Programming, Software Engineering, Applications Programming, User Need, and User Relations

Successful prototyping of software can fulfill needs of users who may not have originally known what their needs were. The variety of new prototyping tools, expert system shells, object-oriented languages, and other artificial intelligence products is likely to lead to the development of a completely original prototype, not just a new prototype technique. Products that were developed without full knowledge of what they would eventually be used for include the Visicalc spreadsheet, word processors, and computers themselves. Prototyping will encourage the human habit of probing for answers, rather than desperately seeking a way to fence answers out.

Computer-Aided Software Engineering, Application Development Software, Software Engineering, Code Generator, Program Development Techniques, Project Life Cycle, Industrial project management, Prototype, Syntax Analyzers, and Program Verification

The common elements of tool kits for computer-aided software engineering (CASE) are described. A graphics tool is a crucial part of a CASE product used for creating program-structure charts, data-flow diagrams, and data-structure diagrams. CASE tool kits generally support a particularly methodology for structured analysis and design along with an appropriate method of syntax verification. Other elements of CASE tool kits include: central information repository; prototyping tools such as menu, screen and report generators; and code generators. Project management tools are an important part of the development life cycle but are not widely available in CASE products.

Industry Analysis, C Programming Language, Rapid Prototyping, Computer-Aided Software Engineering, Software Engineering, Compiler/decompiler, Application Development Software, Compilers, and Program Development Software -- Usage

A new breed of C generators are dramatically speeding up applications development for the Microsoft Windows graphical user environment. The generators lack the complete features of a computer-aided software engineering tool. They do, however, allow for the design and testing of applications visually, and the generation of C program code. The development time can be a tenth of the time it would take to hand-code Windows applications. Application generators go directly from design to coding, without the built-in higher level function capabilities of most CASE software. The lack of full-blown CASE functions makes them less useful for large scale programming projects that require continuous maintenance and revision. Analysts maintain though that their strength lies in the ability to develop applications quickly and in their support of rapid prototyping functions.

Reports, Industry Analysis, Computer-Aided Software Engineering, Trends, Client/Server Architecture, Fourth-Generation Language, Software Engineering, Computer software industry -- Analysis, and Fourth-Generation Languages -- Usage

A report from Forrester Research Inc says that client/server application developers are favoring the use of fourth-generation languages (4GL) over traditional third-generation languages such as C and Cobol. The new 4GLs, which can cost anything from $300 to $50,000, generate application code, connect to leading data base management systems, and construct graphical user interfaces. The new generation of development tools include assisted 3GLs, high-level computer-aided software engineering-type modeling tools, and 4GL prototyping software which permit the fast development of application shells. The report maintains that the 4GL prototyping approach is used most in current tools because users are reluctant to commit to the high investment required for client/server modeling.

Prototype, Software Engineering, System Development, and Systems

Prototyping is a device to increase applications development, but advocates of prototyping have applied the term to different approaches. Data-driven design, dataless screens, iterative development, and doing applications twice are the different approaches to prototyping. While prototyping is the key to success and some methods are considerably more successful than others, and an agreement on the best workable method has failed to materialize.

Productivity, Software Engineering, Standard, Prototype, New Technique, Software engineering -- Methods, Prototypes, Engineering -- Usage, and Software -- Reusability

Software organizations are developing new software engineering approaches that emulate practices in more traditional engineering disciplines in response to government's demand for larger and more complex software systems that outdistance even modern software engineering practices. Among the approaches are techniques to identify and resolve implementation risks earlier in the development life cycle - an approach referred to as prototyping - and techniques to develop software systems designs based on systematic use of standard parts - an approach that is a form of software reuse. Prototyping and reuse in practice are two sides of the same coin. Standards are needed in the standard parts themselves and the development environments that would support their use.

Marketing Strategy, Application Development Software, Software Engineering, Product Introduction, Client/Server Architecture, Search Software, Data Communications Software, Oracle Corp. -- Marketing, Oracle Data Browser (Database access software) -- Product introduction, Oracle Card (Program development software) -- Product introduction, Oracle Glue (Program development software) -- Product introduction, Computer software industry -- Marketing, and Program development software -- Marketing

Oracle Corp repositions its end-user development tools under its Co-operative Development Environment (CDE) strategy, which covers the complete application development life cycle. CDE combines end-user access, tools and Oracle's computer-aided software engineering line with third- and fourth-generation languages. Oracle releases several packages under the CDE umbrella. Oracle Data Browser is a graphical data access tool that enables users to locate and query enterprise database information. Oracle Book lets users create and view on-line documents, such as manuals and documentation. Oracle Card is a programming environment for prototyping and developing graphical client-server applications. Oracle Glue is an application programming interface. It is intended to help users integrate developer and third-party tools with CDE.

Software Engineering, Trends, Growth, Application Development Software, System Development, Software Design, Information Systems, Automatic Programming, and Automation

Computer-aided software engineering is now entering a period of rapid growth, according to many software productivity experts. Although there are a variety of approaches being taken by vendors of automated software engineering products, all are based on the process of designing an information system rather than toward the task of coding it. They emphasize the kind of structure and discipline that nonprocedural languages and prototyping aids purposely avoid. For many users, however, the focus of these tools on the total system life cycle may be their greatest weakness. The conversion to automated software engineering can be difficult for organizations without strictly defined software design procedures.

Productivity, Software Packages, Design, Task Analysis, Systems Analysis, Software Engineering, Industrial productivity, and Software -- Design and construction

Providing functions users really need and making those functions easy to use are the keys to increasing end-user productivity. Providing useless functions or functions that end users find difficult can penalize system resources and productivity. First-hand knowledge of how users work and understanding their mental models of the tasks involved is required to create useful and usable software. Task analysis involves controlled observations of potential system users performing their regular work. The systems approach looks at how computer systems fit into an organization. Trade-offs between personnel selection, training, tasks, or procedures design and software design can then be made. Standardized user interfaces, prototyping, usability objectives, and testing are some other ways to improve end-user productivity.

Executive, Programming Language, History of Computing, Enhancements, Software Engineering, Application Development Software, Coding, and Operating Environments

Professional applications developers require advanced program development tools, languages, and products for speedy coding capabilities. These products should offer a speedy, up-front prototyping capability and advanced code optimization at the end. They will require an easy technique to dynamically manage the individual steps of compiling, editing, linking, testing, and running code. Very integrated development environments are available to the users of Quickbasic 4.0 and QuickC from Microsoft. Technological improvements can be combined with language enhancements to produce a more sophisticated development environment. When tools are matched and mixed upon need the integrated development environment becomes optimal.

Computer-Aided Software Engineering, Methods, Product Life Cycle, Software Engineering, and Prototype

The methodology governing the stages of the software life cycle will determine how well computer-aided software engineering (CASE) tools are used. Some of the main traits of CASE methodology that relate to this issue include: the proper CASE methodology would automatically control and integrate the techniques, tools, maintenance and methods for the software life cycle; CASE methodology is best represented by incremental prototyping; the CASE methodology would show what and how CASE tools should be implemented; and the blending of the distinctions between phases would happen as software engineering became the incremental construction and testing of system prototypes.

Programming, Computers, Applications Programming, Productivity, Structured Programming, and Software Engineering

The productivity of programmers and the quality of programming are diminishing because of the systems, individuals, and approaches involved. While these problems do exist, there are some solution to increasing programmer productivity and programming quality. One solution is embedded in modular coding, concurrent documentation, reuse of old program parts, and utilization of the better known algorithms. Also, new techniques can be helpful such as, for example, rapid prototyping, development of computer-assisted software, and restructuring engines.