Computer-aided software engineering

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Image:Screengrab - ERWin 4.1.4.3643 on Win2K.gif Computer-aided software engineering (CASE) is the use of software tools to assist in the development and maintenance of software. Tools used to assist in this way are known as CASE Tools.

All aspects of the software development lifecycle can be supported by software tools, and so the use of tools from across the spectrum can, arguably, be described as CASE; from project management software through tools for business and functional analysis, system design, code storage, compilers, translation tools, test software, and so on.

However, it is the tools that are concerned with analysis and design, and with using design information to create parts (or all) of the software product, that are most frequently thought of as CASE tools. Such tools arose out of developments such as Jackson Structured Programming and the software modelling techniques promoted by researchers such as Ed Yourdon, Chris Gane and Trish Sarson (see structured programming, SSADM). In this narrower range, CASE applied, for instance, to a database software product, might normally involve:

Modelling business / real world processes and data flow
Development of data models in the form of entity-relationship diagrams
Development of process and function descriptions
Production of database creation SQL and stored procedures

CASE tools were at their peak in the early 1990's. At the time IBM had proposed AD/Cycle which was an alliance of software vendors centered around IBM's mainframe. The two giants of the time were Atlanta based, Knowledgeware with their IEW and ADW tools and Texas Instruments with their IEF tool. These tools were full lifecycle and included upper and lower case. With the decline of the mainframe, AD/Cycle and the Big CASE tools died off, opening the market for the mainstream CASE tools of today. Interesting enough, nearly all of the leaders of the CASE market of the early 1990's ended up being purchased by Computer Associates, including IEW, IEF, ADW, Cayenne, and LBMS.

Some typical CASE tools are:

Code generation tools
UML editors and the like
Refactoring tools
Configuration management tools including revision control

CASE tools do not only output code. They also generate other output typical of various systems analysis and design methodologies such as SSADM. E.g.

database schema
data flow diagrams
entity relationship diagrams
program specifications
user documentation

Sometimes CASE tools are separated in two groups:

Upper CASE: Tools for the analysis and design phase of the software development lifecycle (diagramming tools, report and form generators, analysis tools)
Lower CASE: Tools to support implementation, testing, configuration management

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List of sample CASE tools

ArgoUML - website
Blue Ink - website
CASE Studio 2 website
CASEWise website
DBDesigner 4 is a visual database design system that integrates database design, modeling, creation and maintenance into a single environment website
DMS Software Reengineering Toolkit website
Eclipse with plugins - website
Embarcadero ER/Studio - website
Embarcadero Describe - website
Enterprise Architect - Sparx Systems - website
eREQUIREMENTS - Web-based Requirements Management System for Web Application Development - eRequirements
ERWin - Computer Associates - website
Gorilla eXecution Engine - Create fully-functional simulations from UML models. website
INNOVATOR - MID website
iRise - iRise is the world's first software solution used by business people to create a visual preview or prototype of applications - before coding. iRise simulations let users validate requirements visually which significantly reduces re-work and project delays. website
Modelistic - website
Obsydian / Plex - Computer Associates website
Oracle Designer - website
Rational Rose - IBM - website
SILVERRUN - Grandite - website
Sybase PowerDesigner - website
Synon
System Architect - Popkin Software - website
Together - Borland - website
Topcased - website
Visible Enterprise Products - website
Visual Paradigm for UML - website
Rational ClearCASE - IBM - website
Database Designer for MySQL - website
swREUSER - Software Reuse all along the software development life-cycle - website