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EasyCASE Plustm
EasyCASE Plus is an easy-to-use CASE (Computer Aided Software
Engineering) tool intended to simplify the production and
maintenance of:
Data Flow Diagrams (DFDs) - Yourdon/DeMarco and Gane & Sarson,
Transformation Graphs (data/control flow schema diagrams) - Ward
& Mellor and Hatley-Pirbhai real time extensions supported.
State Transition Diagrams - Ward & Mellor and Hatley-Pirbhai,
Structure Charts - Yourdon/Constantine and Page-Jones,
Data Structure Diagrams - Jackson,
Entity Relationship Diagrams (ERDs) - Chen.
EasyCASE Plus provides the capability to add the appropriate
objects (processes, stores, terminators, flows, functions,
modules, couples, connections, states, transitions, entities,
relationships etc.) to a chart, connect them, associate them,
describe them to the Data Dictionary and manipulate them.
EasyCASE Plus maintains certain information about each object,
its connections to and relationships with other chart objects.
Objects can be added, moved, deleted, labelled, identified,
connected to and associated with other objects on the chart. If
an object is modified in any way, any other similarly identified
or associated objects on the chart are modified also. For example
(i) if a data process symbol on a transformation graph is moved,
any attached data and/or control flows and their labels are moved
also, remaining connected to, and associated with, the moved
symbol; (ii) if a function symbol on a structure chart is
deleted, any attached connections and associated data or control
flow arrows (couples) and their labels are deleted also; (iii) if
a previously defined object identifier is re-used, the new object
will inherit its attributes from the data dictionary, including
its label, type, description, explosion definition etc.
EasyCASE Plus is built upon a data dictionary and stores object
data (attributes) for use by all objects in all charts organized
together as a project set. This allows any object defined on a
chart to be available for re-use or re-definition on any other
chart in the same project group.
Object attributes are provided in the data dictionary to :
(i) Identify (to the data dictionary) and label objects of
various types.
(ii) Enable symbols such as data processes to define a 'child'
chart allowing the capability to move up and down charts in a
hierarchy (chart linking) by simply selecting such symbols. For
example, it is possible to 'explode' down to lower level dfds
from a data process on a DFD, to an ERD or DSD from a data store
on a DFD or to a state transition diagram from a control
transform on a transformation graph. In addition, it is possible
to 'explode' down to a text editor from a symbol enabling
primitive process specs to be added in the form of Pseudocode,
Structured English or even source code. Composite data structures
can be defined in the form of a data record, allowing data stores
and flows on DFDs, stores on structure charts and entities on
ERDs to share the same definition. Any object on a chart can
'explode' to any (named) chart type, text file or record
definition.
(iii) Enable data flows to be defined in the form of a record
structure, or control flows to be specified in the form of
control tables, consisting of sub-groups and/or elements. Data
and control flows may be defined using the common notational
schemes defined by Yourdon-DeMarco or Backus-Naur. This would
typically include use of the 'is composed of (=)', 'and (+)',
'optional ()', iteration {}', selection []', comment (**)' and
'alternative choices (|)' symbols. A data record definition may
be entered using combinations of these symbols together with the
names of constituent data entities.
(iv) Attach an alias (eg. a code mnemonic) to an object.
(v) Attach a short textual description to an object.
(vi) Miscellaneous (user definable) fields are also provided.
EasyCASE Plus provides a data dictionary manager to enable
addition, copying, deletion, undeletion, viewing, modification,
renaming and packing of object records in the data dictionary.
Any type of object, previously identified to the data dictionary,
can be manipulated or new objects can be added. Pop-up dialog and
list boxes are used to present the user with selection lists of
object types and names and for object data entry.
A basic set of pre-defined data dictionary and chart object
reports can be produced enabling checking of chart file object
definitions and relationships and listing of data dictionary
object records of user selectable types. This allows the user to
determine if chart objects have been completely and accurately
defined in the data dictionary and to determine their inter-
relationships and dependencies. Reports can be printed on a
variety of printers (see below), or to text files for inclusion
in documentation, together with the chart images themselves.
The data dictionary and individual chart objects relationship
data can be exported to, and imported from, dBASE III Plus and
SDF compatible file formats. This enables the user to optionally
process the data using a Relational Database Management System
(RDBMS) of his choice. This may allow more extensive data
dictionary record query, data entry, modification and reporting
capabilities using a separate, external RDBMS such as dBASE III
Plus, dBASE IV, Clipper, Paradox, FoxBase+, dBXL, Alpha Four etc.
EasyCASE Plus interacts quickly and easily with the user via
extensive use of carefully designed and implemented pop-up dialog
boxes, selection boxes, list boxes and menus. EasyCASE Plus makes
extensive use of a mouse for selecting chart areas to print/plot
or export, select commands from menus and dialog boxes and
working with objects. Color is used (EGA/VGA graphics card and
color monitor only) for dialog boxes and for highlighting
selected and modified objects. EasyCASE Plus provides a large (6
page) drawing area supported by several zoom modes, scrolling
around which can be performed using the mouse or keyboard.
The whole chart or a user selectable area can be printed or
plotted to a number of output devices which are compatible with
the following; Epson FX, Epson LQ, IBM Graphics Printers,
Hewlett-Packard Graphics Language (HPGL) 7475 and 7550 Plotters
and HP QuietJet, LaserJet (HPLJ) and DeskJet printers. Charts can
be printed at 100, 150 and 300 dpi resolution on HP LaserJet and
DeskJet printers using an assortment of provided fonts, including
serif and sans-serif, single and double stroke, and script type
fonts.
Chart fragments can also be exported in Microsoft Windows Paint,
PC Paintbrush, HPGL and CGM (when available) file formats for
incorporation into documents when using a desktop publishing or
word processing program which can import these paint images or
metafiles, such as Pagemaker, Ventura Publisher, Lotus
Manuscript, PFS:First Publisher, Word, WordPerfect etc.
EasyCASE Plus requires an IBM PC or compatible (-AT recommended,
math co-processor optional) equipped with a Hercules (HGC), EGA
or VGA graphics card (100% IBM compatible) connected to a
monochrome or enhanced color monitor, 640 kbytes of RAM, Hard
Disk and a Microsoft or compatible mouse running under DOS
version 3.1 or later.
Site licensing agreements, annual maintenance agreements, dealer
pricing and volume purchase pricing are available, please contact
us for further details.
A future version of EasyCASE Plus will provide for methodology
rule checking of chart object associations and data dictionary
object records syntax and will perform level balancing of data
and control flows, processes and stores on data flow diagrams and
transformation graphs.
Evergreen CASE Tools, 11025 164th. Avenue NE, Redmond, WA 98052
USA. Tel : (206)-881-5149
September 17th, 1989