Computer-aided software engineering (CASE) is the domain of software tools used to design and implement applications. CASE tools are similar to and were partly inspired by computer-aided design (CAD) tools used for designing hardware products. CASE tools are used for developing high-quality, defect-free, and maintainable software.[1] CASE software is often associated with methods for the development of information systems together with automated tools that can be used in the software development process.[2]
2CASE Software
History[edit]
The Information System Design and Optimization System (ISDOS) project, started in 1968 at the University of Michigan, initiated a great deal of interest in the whole concept of using computer systems to help analysts in the very difficult process of analysing requirements and developing systems. Several papers by Daniel Teichroew fired a whole generation of enthusiasts with the potential of automated systems development. His Problem Statement Language / Problem Statement Analyzer (PSL/PSA) tool was a CASE tool although it predated the term.[3]
Another major thread emerged as a logical extension to the data dictionary of a database. By extending the range of metadata held, the attributes of an application could be held within a dictionary and used at runtime. This 'active dictionary' became the precursor to the more modern model-driven engineering capability. However, the active dictionary did not provide a graphical representation of any of the metadata. It was the linking of the concept of a dictionary holding analysts' metadata, as derived from the use of an integrated set of techniques, together with the graphical representation of such data that gave rise to the earlier versions of CASE.[4]
The next entrant into the market was Excelerator from Index Technology in Cambridge, Mass. While DesignAid ran on Convergent Technologies and later Burroughs Ngen networked microcomputers, Index launched Excelerator on the IBM PC/AT platform. While, at the time of launch, and for several years, the IBM platform did not support networking or a centralized database as did the Convergent Technologies or Burroughs machines, the allure of IBM was strong, and Excelerator came to prominence. Hot on the heels of Excelerator were a rash of offerings from companies such as Knowledgeware (James Martin, Fran Tarkenton and Don Addington), Texas Instrument's CA Gen and Andersen Consulting's FOUNDATION toolset (DESIGN/1, INSTALL/1, FCP).[5]
Computer-Aided Software Engineering Tools Adobe Flash Builder 4 sponsored by Adobe Inc SOFTWARE DOWNLOAD: Enterprises are challenged to create easy to use rich Internet applications that enable users and customers to access and interact with data and content in more intuitive and visual ways.
CASE tools, short for Computer–Aided Software Engineering tools, are tools used by developers to develop, manage, and maintain software systems. CASE tools fall into three categories: Upper CASE tools, Lower CASE tools and Integrated CASE tools.
A computer-aided software engineering (CASE) tool is a software package that provides support for the design and implementation of information systems. It can document a database design and provide invaluable help in maintaining the consistency of a design.
Computer-aided software engineering (CASE) is the scientific application of a set of tools and methods to a software system which is meant to result in high-quality, defect-free, and maintainable software products.
CASE tools were at their peak in the early 1990s.[6] According to the PC Magazine of January 1990, over 100 companies were offering nearly 200 different CASE tools.[5] At the time IBM had proposed AD/Cycle, which was an alliance of software vendors centered on IBM's Software repository using IBM DB2 in mainframe and OS/2:
The application development tools can be from several sources: from IBM, from vendors, and from the customers themselves. IBM has entered into relationships with Bachman Information Systems, Index Technology Corporation, and Knowledgeware wherein selected products from these vendors will be marketed through an IBM complementary marketing program to provide offerings that will help to achieve complete life-cycle coverage.[7]
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. Many of the leaders of the CASE market of the early 1990s ended up being purchased by Computer Associates, including IEW, IEF, ADW, Cayenne, and Learmonth & Burchett Management Systems (LBMS). The other trend that led to the evolution of CASE tools was the rise of object-oriented methods and tools. Most of the various tool vendors added some support for object-oriented methods and tools. In addition new products arose that were designed from the bottom up to support the object-oriented approach. Andersen developed its project Eagle as an alternative to Foundation. Several of the thought leaders in object-oriented development each developed their own methodology and CASE tool set: Jacobsen, Rumbaugh, Booch, etc. Eventually, these diverse tool sets and methods were consolidated via standards led by the Object Management Group (OMG). The OMG's Unified Modelling Language (UML) is currently widely accepted as the industry standard for object-oriented modeling.
CASE Software[edit]
A. Fuggetta classified CASE software different into 3 categories:[8]
Tools support specific tasks in the software life-cycle.
Workbenches combine two or more tools focused on a specific part of the software life-cycle.
Environments combine two or more tools or workbenches and support the complete software life-cycle.
Tools[edit]
CASE tools support specific tasks in the software development life-cycle. They can be divided into the following categories:
Business and Analysis modeling. Graphical modeling tools. E.g., E/R modeling, object modeling, etc.
Development. Design and construction phases of the life-cycle. Debugging environments. E.g., IISE LKO.
Verification and validation. Analyze code and specifications for correctness, performance, etc.
Configuration management. Control the check-in and check-out of repository objects and files. E.g., SCCS, IISE.
Metrics and measurement. Analyze code for complexity, modularity (e.g., no 'go to's'), performance, etc.
Another common way to distinguish CASE tools is the distinction between Upper CASE and Lower CASE. Upper CASE Tools support business and analysis modeling. They support traditional diagrammatic languages such as ER diagrams, Data flow diagram, Structure charts, Decision Trees, Decision tables, etc. Lower CASE Tools support development activities, such as physical design, debugging, construction, testing, component integration, maintenance, and reverse engineering. All other activities span the entire life-cycle and apply equally to upper and lower CASE.[9]
Workbenches[edit]
Workbenches integrate two or more CASE tools and support specific software-process activities. Hence they achieve:
a homogeneous and consistent interface (presentation integration).
seamless integration of tools and tool chains (control and data integration).
An example workbench is Microsoft's Visual Basic programming environment. It incorporates several development tools: a GUI builder, smart code editor, debugger, etc. Most commercial CASE products tended to be such workbenches that seamlessly integrated two or more tools. Workbenches also can be classified in the same manner as tools; as focusing on Analysis, Development, Verification, etc. as well as being focused on upper case, lower case or processes such as configuration management that span the complete life-cycle.
Environments[edit]
An environment is a collection of CASE tools or workbenches that attempts to support the complete software process. This contrasts with tools that focus on one specific task or a specific part of the life-cycle. CASE environments are classified by Fuggetta as follows:[8]
Toolkits. Loosely coupled collections of tools. These typically build on operating system workbenches such as the Unix Programmer's Workbench or the VMS VAX set. They typically perform integration via piping or some other basic mechanism to share data and pass control. The strength of easy integration is also one of the drawbacks. Simple passing of parameters via technologies such as shell scripting can't provide the kind of sophisticated integration that a common repository database can.
Fourth generation. These environments are also known as 4GL standing for fourth generation language environments due to the fact that the early environments were designed around specific languages such as Visual Basic. They were the first environments to provide deep integration of multiple tools. Typically these environments were focused on specific types of applications. For example, user-interface driven applications that did standard atomic transactions to a relational database. Examples are Informix 4GL, and Focus.
Language-centered. Environments based on a single often object-oriented language such as the Symbolics Lisp Genera environment or VisualWorks Smalltalk from Parcplace. In these environments all the operating system resources were objects in the object-oriented language. This provides powerful debugging and graphical opportunities but the code developed is mostly limited to the specific language. For this reason, these environments were mostly a niche within CASE. Their use was mostly for prototyping and R&D projects. A common core idea for these environments was the model-view-controller user interface that facilitated keeping multiple presentations of the same design consistent with the underlying model. The MVC architecture was adopted by the other types of CASE environments as well as many of the applications that were built with them.
Integrated. These environments are an example of what most IT people tend to think of first when they think of CASE. Environments such as IBM's AD/Cycle, Andersen Consulting's FOUNDATION, the ICL CADES system, and DEC Cohesion. These environments attempt to cover the complete life-cycle from analysis to maintenance and provide an integrated database repository for storing all artifacts of the software process. The integrated software repository was the defining feature for these kinds of tools. They provided multiple different design models as well as support for code in heterogenous languages. One of the main goals for these types of environments was 'round trip engineering': being able to make changes at the design level and have those automatically be reflected in the code and vice versa. These environments were also typically associated with a particular methodology for software development. For example, the FOUNDATION CASE suite from Andersen was closely tied to the Andersen Method/1 methodology.
Process-centered. This is the most ambitious type of integration. These environments attempt to not just formally specify the analysis and design objects of the software process but the actual process itself and to use that formal process to control and guide software projects. Examples are East, Enterprise II, Process Wise, Process Weaver, and Arcadia. These environments were by definition tied to some methodology since the software process itself is part of the environment and can control many aspects of tool invocation.
In practice, the distinction between workbenches and environments was flexible. Visual Basic for example was a programming workbench but was also considered a 4GL environment by many. The features that distinguished workbenches from environments were deep integration via a shared repository or common language and some kind of methodology (integrated and process-centered environments) or domain (4GL) specificity.[8]
Major CASE Risk Factors[edit]
Some of the most significant risk factors for organizations adopting CASE technology include:
Inadequate standardization. Organizations usually have to tailor and adopt methodologies and tools to their specific requirements. Doing so may require significant effort to integrate both divergent technologies as well as divergent methods. For example, before the adoption of the UML standard the diagram conventions and methods for designing object-oriented models were vastly different among followers of Jacobsen, Booch, and Rumbaugh.
Unrealistic expectations. The proponents of CASE technology—especially vendors marketing expensive tool sets—often hype expectations that the new approach will be a silver bullet that solves all problems. In reality no such technology can do that and if organizations approach CASE with unrealistic expectations they will inevitably be disappointed.
Inadequate training. As with any new technology, CASE requires time to train people in how to use the tools and to get up to speed with them. CASE projects can fail if practitioners are not given adequate time for training or if the first project attempted with the new technology is itself highly mission critical and fraught with risk.
Inadequate process control. CASE provides significant new capabilities to utilize new types of tools in innovative ways. Without the proper process guidance and controls these new capabilities can cause significant new problems as well.[10]
Computer Aided Software Engineering Case Tools Examples
See also[edit]
References[edit]
^Kuhn, D.L (1989). 'Selecting and effectively using a computer aided software engineering tool'. Annual Westinghouse computer symposium; 6–7 Nov 1989; Pittsburgh, PA (U.S.); DOE Project.
^P. Loucopoulos and V. Karakostas (1995). System Requirements Engineerinuality software which will perform effectively.
^Teichroew, Daniel; Hershey, Ernest Allen (1976). 'PSL/PSA a computer-aided technique for structured documentation and analysis of information processing systems'. Proceeding ICSE '76 Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Software Engineering. IEEE Computer Society Press.
^Coronel, Carlos; Morris, Steven (February 4, 2014). Database Systems: Design, Implementation, & Management. Cengage Learning. pp. 695–700. ISBN978-1285196145. Retrieved 25 November 2014.
^ abInc, Ziff Davis (1990-01-30). PC Mag. Ziff Davis, Inc.
^Yourdon, Ed (Jul 23, 2001). 'Can XP Projects Grow?'. Computerworld. Retrieved 25 November 2014.
^'AD/Cycle strategy and architecture', IBM Systems Journal, Vol 29, NO 2, 1990; p. 172.
^ abcAlfonso Fuggetta (December 1993). 'A classification of CASE technology'. Computer. 26 (12): 25–38. doi:10.1109/2.247645. Retrieved 2009-03-14.
^Software Engineering: Tools, Principles and Techniques by Sangeeta Sabharwal, Umesh Publications
^Computer Aided Software Engineering. In: FFIEC IT Examination Handbook InfoBase. Retrieved 3 Mar 2012.
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Computer-aided_software_engineering&oldid=910966771'
Nonlinear static analysis of a 3D structure subjected to plastic deformations
Computer-aided engineering (CAE) is the broad usage of computer software to aid in engineering analysis tasks. It includes finite element analysis (FEA), computational fluid dynamics (CFD), multibody dynamics (MBD), durability and optimization.
Overview[edit]
Computer Software used to analyse CAD geometry tools that have been developed to support these activities are considered CAE tools. CAE tools are being used, for example, to analyse the robustness and performance of components and assemblies. The term encompasses simulation, validation, and optimisation of products and manufacturing tools. In the future, CAE systems will be major providers of information to help support design teams in decision making. Computer-aided engineering is used in many fields such as automotive, aviation, space, and shipbuilding industries.[1]
In regard to information networks, CAE systems are individually considered a single node on a total information network and each node may interact with other nodes on the network.
CAE systems can provide support to businesses. This is achieved by the use of reference architectures and their ability to place information views on the business process. Reference architecture is the basis from which information model, especially product and manufacturing models.
The term CAE has also been used by some in the past to describe the use of computer technology within engineering in a broader sense than just engineering analysis. It was in this context that the term was coined by Jason Lemon, founder of SDRC in the late 1970s. This definition is however better known today by the terms CAx and PLM.[2]
CAE fields and phases[edit]
CAE areas covered include:
Computer Aided Software Engineering Tools Pdf
Stress analysis on components and assemblies using Finite Element Analysis (FEA);
Thermal and fluid flow analysis Computational fluid dynamics (CFD);
Multibody dynamics (MBD) and Kinematics;
Analysis tools for process simulation for operations such as casting, molding, and die press forming.
Optimization of the product or process.
In general, there are three phases in any computer-aided engineering task:
Pre-processing – defining the model and environmental factors to be applied to it. (typically a finite element model, but facet, voxel and thin sheet methods are also used)
Analysis solver (usually performed on high powered computers)
Post-processing of results (using visualization tools)
This cycle is iterated, often many times, either manually or with the use of commercial optimization software.
CAE in the automotive industry[edit]
CAE tools are very widely used in the automotive industry. In fact, their use has enabled the automakers to reduce product development cost and time while improving the safety, comfort, and durability of the vehicles they produce. The predictive capability of CAE tools has progressed to the point where much of the design verification is now done using computer simulations (diagnosis) rather than physical prototype testing. CAE dependability is based upon all proper assumptions as inputs and must identify critical inputs (BJ). Even though there have been many advances in CAE, and it is widely used in the engineering field, physical testing is still a must. It is used for verification and model updating, to accurately define loads and boundary conditions and for final prototype sign-off.
The future of CAE in the product development process[edit]
Even though CAE has built a strong reputation as a verification, troubleshooting and analysis tool, there is still a perception that sufficiently accurate results come rather late in the design cycle to really drive the design. This can be expected to become a problem as modern products become ever more complex. They include smart systems, which leads to an increased need for multi-physics analysis including controls, and contain new lightweight materials, to which engineers are often less familiar. CAE software companies and manufacturers are constantly looking for tools and process improvements to change this situation. On the software side, they are constantly looking to develop more powerful solvers, better use computer resources and include engineering knowledge in pre- and post-processing. On the process side, they try to achieve a better alignment between 3D CAE, 1D System Simulation and physical testing. This should increase modeling realism and calculation speed. On top of that, they try to better integrate CAE in the overall product lifecycle management. In this way, they can connect product design with product use, which is an absolute must for smart products. Such an enhanced engineering process is also referred to as predictive engineering analytics.[3][4]
What Are Computer-aided Software Engineering (case) Tools Quizlet
See also[edit]
Finite element analysis (FEA/FEM)
Computational fluid dynamics (CFD)
Computational electromagnetics (CEM)
Multibody dynamics (MBD)
Electronic design automation (EDA)
Multidisciplinary design optimization (MDO)
Computer-aided Software Engineering Tools (case)
References[edit]
^Saracoglu, B. O. (2006). 'Identification of Technology Performance Criteria for CAD/CAM/CAE/CIM/CAL in Shipbuilding Industry'. 2006 Technology Management for the Global Future - PICMET 2006 Conference. pp. 1635–1646. doi:10.1109/PICMET.2006.296739. ISBN1-890843-14-8.
^Marks, Peter. '2007: In Remembrance of Dr. Jason A. Lemon, CAE pioneer'. gfxspeak.com. Retrieved 2 Jul 2011.
^Van der Auweraer, Herman; Anthonis, Jan; De Bruyne, Stijn; Leuridan, Jan (2012). 'Virtual engineering at work: the challenges for designing mechatronic products'. Engineering with Computers. 29 (3): 389–408. doi:10.1007/s00366-012-0286-6.
^Seong Wook Cho; Seung Wook Kim; Jin-Pyo Park; Sang Wook Yang; Young Choi (2011). 'Engineering collaboration framework with CAE analysis data'. International Journal of Precision Engineering and Manufacturing. 12.
Further reading[edit]
B. Raphael and I.F.C. Smith (2003). Fundamentals of computer aided engineering. John Wiley. ISBN978-0-471-48715-9.
External links[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Computer-aided engineering.