Higher Colleges of Technology Abu Dhabi Womens College ITEC 451 Contemporary Issues in Information Systems

Assessment 2 Written Report Project2012-2013 Semester 1

Comparing different available CASE (Computer Aided Software Engineering) tools

Date:

Prepared By: Supervised By:

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Contents
1.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 3 1.2 Part 1: Comparison between Visible Analyst CASE tool and Visual-paradigm CASE tool using the following criteria: ...................................................................................................................... 4 1.2.1 Repository: ......................................................................................................................... 4 1.2.2 Forward engineering features: ........................................................................................... 5 1.2.3 Reverse Engineering features............................................................................................. 6 1.2.4 Modeling tools.................................................................................................................... 8 1.3 Part 2: Selecting only one of the two products that are studied in Part1 ................................. 9 1.4 References: .............................................................................................................................. 11

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1.1 Introduction
CASE (computer-aided software engineering) is the use of a computer-assisted method to organize and control the development of software, especially on large, complex projects involving many software components and people. Using CASE allows designers, code writers, testers, planners, and managers to share a common view of where a project stands at each stage of development. CASE helps ensure a disciplined, check-pointed process. In the market there are many available CASE tools that offer many powerful functions and features, such tools like: Visible Analyst, IBM Rational Software, Oracle Designer, visual- Paradigm. Visible Analyst Is a CASE tool that enables true enterprise application engineering by storing and documenting data, processes, business requirements, and objects that can be shared by application developers throughout an organization On the other hand Visual Paradigm is a CASE tool that used to empower organizations to develop quality applications faster, better and cheaper. We help our customers to understand their organizations and translate requirements into quality software with our tools that are both richly featured and simple to use

In this project a comparison between Visible Analyst and visual paradigm is prepared matching the following criteria: Repository usage Forward engineering Features Reverse Engineering Features ModelingTools

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1.2 Part 1: Comparison between Visible Analyst CASE tool and Visual-paradigm CASE tool using the following criteria:
1.2.1 Repository:
A repository is a database of information about the software, including data elements, processes, inputs, outputs and interrelationships. A CASE system uses a repository to identify objects and rules for reuse.

Visible Analyst is an integrated visual modeling tool that offers automated data repository supporting data, process, UML, BPMN modeling notations, it offers extensible repository which is a powerful and flexible repository which is included with Visible Analyst.There is no need to purchase a separate repository product. It also allows adding new attributes, objects, and relationships to the Visible Analyst repository. It is also possible to extend the definition of standard repository objects giving you the power to define specific corporate meta data. Visible Analyst it is possible to do the following in the repository

Define new objects to capture business requirements Relate requirements to other repository objects (tables, fields, process, etc.) Add attribute to identify owner
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On the other hand Visual Paradigm has a central repository of designs and documents Visual Paradigm is a central repository of designs and documents that allows team members to access and edit the same files at the same time. Visual Paradigm has one repository object which is class repository. Class repository is a pane where classes and container that contain classes, such as packages or subsystems, are listed. To access classes, you can also form class diagram by dragging classes from class repository on class diagram.

The Class Repository

1.2.2 Forward engineering features:

Forward engineering is the opposite of reverse engineering. In forward engineering, one takes a set of primitives of interest, builds them into a working system, and then observes what the system can and cannot do

Visible analyst automates all of the traditional structured methods and forward and reverse engineered databases via ODBC, direct native connection, or SQL. This new
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edition represents a compatible feature set to the recently discontinued EasyCASE Professional plus Database Engineer (DBE) add-on tool - delivering superior capabilities at a lower price than any of its competition.

On the other hand there are many more diagram types and features in Visual Paradigm. For example it is possible to use Visual Paradigm tool to turn models into Java code (forward engineer) and many other coding options available to ease the process of forward engineering.

1.2.3 Reverse Engineering features

Reverse Engineering is often needed to analyze source codes of an application for identifying the systems components and their interrelationships at a higher level of abstraction. Reverse Engineering is used mostly to reverse source codes from an old system into class models for further analysis and development.

Visible Analyst support Reverse Engineer Legacy Databases. it offers a complete, robust reverse-engineering process from the following sources:

Directly from legacy database using native DBMS or ODBC connection to legacy database. A wide variety of DBMS products are supported (Oracle, SQL Server, DB2, Informix, Sybase, etc.)

SQL DDL script COBOL data division (when combined with Analyst's COBOL reverse engineering utility)

ERWin 3.2 and above file import/export

Tables, views, relationships, domains (user defined types), stored procedures, constraints, triggers, and table space information are extracted from the legacy
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database and imported. Analyst will infer the foreign keys to find relationships not expressly defined in the database. Analyst also infers subtype and supertype relationships.

Compared to the visible analyst; Visual-paradigm products provide the Instant Reverse feature for reverse engineering sources into UML class models easily. There are many source files supported by the Instant Reverse such as Java Source, Java Classes, C++ Source, .NET dll or exe files, CORBA IDL Source, ADA 9x Source, XML, XML Schema, JDBC and Hibernate.

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1.2.4 Modeling tools

Visible Analyst is an integrated visual modeling tool with an automated data repository supporting data, process, UML, BPMN modeling notations. Visible Analyst is offering very powerfull modeling tool which is:Erwin Erwin modeling tools and are looking for ways to modify, improve and protect those investments. In a short time it is possible to bringERwin model into the Visible Analyst Workbench and see how your Enterprise Model can really be an Enterprise Model. ERwin users are constrained by a file-based tool. Customers have specifically come to us from ERwin because of our ability to implement an enterprise model into subject area sub-models for their development teams. In other words the ability to share and integrate data coherently was lacking in ERwin." said Michael Cesino, President of Visible Systems. "Visible Analyst doesn't have that constraint. Every license of Visible Analyst comes with a powerful, extensible and modifiable object repository", added Cesino. Visual Paradigm, is also offering a very good modeling tool, A model is a package like UML element that can store model elements and diagrams. Users are recommended to structure project by using model in order to maintain a clear structure for accessing project data and improve the application performance.

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1.3 Part 2: Selecting only one of the two products that are studied in Part1
From my point of view if I want to select one of the tow products discussed in part 1: Visible Analyses and Visual Paradigm, I will select the Visible Analyses for the following reasons: Ability to segment using easy to learn modeling tool:ERwin projects into connected satellite sub-projects Ability to share model elements across all model types data, process, UML, BPMN, etc. One user interface for all modeling needs A read-only Model Viewer For organization-wide deployment Support for Crystal Reports for repository report generation Supports strategic planning activities It is very easy to import Erwin Modeling tool Offers automated data repository supporting data, process, UML, BPMN modeling notations, it offers extensible repository which is a powerful and flexible Combines Data, Process, and Object Modeling in one easy-to-use tool Collaborative Team Development Environment so critical design information can be shared across teams, departments, or the enterprise. Able to generates Business Applications from Your Data Model Automatically so you can quickly transform your data models into business applications. Following a checklist comparison between the two CASE models discussed in part one showing point of distinct between them:

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Visible Analyst Features Support many features like extensible repository, using powerful and easy to learn modeling tool: Erwin,

Visual Paradigm Support a lot of features like A central repository of designs and documents, use VP to turn models into Java code (forward engineer), Instant Reverse feature for reverse engineering sources into UML class models

Reverse Engineer Legacy Databases

Price

Reasonable also Edition

pricing

and

Reasonable pricing with different prices for different precuts and co vendors

available

Student

Ease learning

of

Very easy to learn learning

Training is offered in all of the fields that it covers starting from 69 $ per month

Availability of online

Lot

of

tutorials

are

Less number of tutorial available in the internet and in there official web site

available for free and to buy online in there official web site: http://www.visible.com

tutorials

http://www.visual-paradigm.com Excellent simplifying visual user interface and

Overall "look and feel.

One user interface for all modeling needs that can be used to access any feature and tool, very

understanding

finding specific feature or tool

simple interface and easy to use

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1.4 References:
http://www.visible.com http://www.visual-paradigm.com Visual Paradigm for UML Tutorial Software Design Theodore Norvell - Updated 2010 Jan 22 url: http://searchcio-midmarket.techtarget.com/definition/CASE http://oldresources.visual-paradigm.com Dictionary of cognitive science Dr. Mechaeil R.W dwason Forward Engineering http://www.bcp.psych.ualberta.ca http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/R/repository.html

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