Table Of ContentAutomating Systems
Development
Automating Systems
Development
Edited by
David Benyon
The Open University
Milton Keynes, United Kingdom
and
Steve Skidmore
Leicester Polytechnic
Leicester, United Kingdom
Plenum Press • New York and London
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
International Conference on Computer-Based Tools for Information Systems Analysis,
Design, and Implementation (1987: Leicester, Leicestershire)
Automating systems development I edited by David Benyon and Steve Skidmore.
p. cm.
"Proceedings of the International Conference on Computer-Based Tools for Infor
mation Systems Analysis, Design, and Implementation, held April 14-16, 1987, in
Leicester, United Kingdom"-T.p. verso.
Includes bibliographies and index.
ISBN-13: 978-1-4612-8302-7 e-ISBN-13: 978-1-4613-1033-4
DOl: 10.1007/978-1-4613-1033-4
1. System design - Congresses. 2. System analysis - Congresses. I. Benyon, David. II.
Skidmore, Steve. III. Title.
QA76.9.S88I565 1987
004.2'I-dcI9 88-17827
CIP
Proceedings of the International Conference on Computer-Based
Tools for Information Systems Analysis, Design, and Implementation,
held April 14-16, 1987, in Leicester, United Kingdom
© 1988 Plenum Press, New York
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 1988
A Division of Plenum Publishing Corporation
233 Spring Street, New York, N.Y. 10013
All rights reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted
in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microfilming,
recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the Publisher
PREFACE
1 INTRODUCTION
These proceedings are the result of a conference on Automating Systems
Development held at Leicester Polytechnic, England on 14 to 16 April 1987.
The conference was attended by over 170 delegates from industry and academia
and it represents a comprehensive review of the state of the art of the use
of the computer based tools for the analysis, design and construction of
Information Systems (IS).
Two parallel streams ran throughout the conference. The academic, or
research, papers were the fruit of British, European and Canadian research,
with some of the papers reflecting UK Government funded Alvey or European
ESPRIT research projects. Two important touchstones guided the selection
of academic papers. Firstly, they should be primarily concerned with
system, rather than program, development. Secondly, they should be easily
accessible to delegates and readers. We felt that formal mathematical
papers had plenty of other opportunities for airing and publication.
The second stream was the applied programme; a set of formal presentations
given by leading software vendors and consultancies. It is clear that
many advances in systems development are actually applied, rather than re
search led. Thus it was important for delegates to hear how leading edge
companies view the State of the Art. This was supported by a small exhibi
tion area where certain vendors demonstrated the software they had intro
duced in the formal presentation. It was important that companies did not
give "soapbox" marketing presentations, and consequently each vendor was
asked to take a specific theme or application rather than to give an over
all view of their product. In general, companies adhered to this spirit
and the conference, and these proceedings, undoubtedly benefitted from
this.
The combination of researchers and practitioners produced a wide-ranging
and thought provoking three days. At its centre was a guest pre,sentation
by Russel Jones, the leading UK writer on automated tools, who discussed
the problems of changing the culture of Data Processing in the light of
new opportunities. A summary of that session is included in these pro
ceedings.
v
2 FRAMEWORK
Although the conference was held as two parallel streams, we have decided to
amalgamate the presentations into certain themes within an imposed
framework, rather than preserve the dichotomy of the actual event. This
should help the reader focus on certain parts and issues, and to present the
opportunity of seeing that issue from both practical and research
perspectives.
Section One Fourth Generation Languages
Fourth Generation Languages (4GLs) are an important influence on current
system 'development. They have permitted the rapid development of
applications and have fuelled the growth of prototyping as a development
method. Two of the papers in this section provide a research (Poole) and
applied (Alley) view of the development of a Fourth Generation tool. Two
further pap~rs present case studies (Radcliffe and Gosling), both concluding
with guidelines of good practice. The two remaining papers present 4GLs in
the context of a methodology~. Wainwright identifies 4GLs as a necessary
part of a methodology for a sector that is characterised by fast moving,
hard to specify, user developed systems. Haine's paper places 4GLs in the
context of a particular methodology - in this case Martin's Information
Engineering. This continues the theme that these development tools need to
be placed into some methodological perspective if they are to be used
effectively. This paper introduces an issue that runs through many of the
contributions - the central role of the Data Dictionary.
Section Two Work Bench Tools
The second section of the text looks at research into specific tools to help
in different parts of the systems development life-cycle. All of the papers
are characterised by addressing certain specific tasks which benefit from
computerisation.
Three of the papers are concerned with programming. This is an area which
has received a considerable amount of attention and this is reflected in
Riha and Rzevski's comprehensive review of the literature. Two tools for
automating code production (MAJIC and SWRPAS) are described in the papers of
Sutcliffe and Pardoe respectively.
The other papers in this section concentrate upon specific tasks usually
encountered in the development of systems. A good example of this is
provided by Helen Sharp's paper which examines automating the transition of
Data Flow Diagrams into Structure Charts. This is a specific tool for an
important and time consuming task in Structured Design. The paper by Avison
and Chaudhuri also addresses the transformation of models. In this case,
from an entity - relationship diagram to physical database designs in a
number of implementations.
Section Three Work Bench Tools within a Methodology
The third and fourth sections of the proceedings are dedicated to automated
tools with the division between the sections based upon the generality of
the tool. Section Three concentrates upon tools designed to support
specific methodologies or techniques. In this respect it can be seen as a
nat'.lral progression from Section Two.
The papers in this section move from the specific (Jones), discussing the
vi
development of a particular tool in a certain environment, to a view of
automation in a complete methodology (Macdonald). The papers along the way
tackle different issues and problems, concluding with an important review of
the difficulties of implementing such workbenches (McCabe).
Most of the major vendors of automated tools are represented in this
section. In most instances they are concerned with offering a complete
solution to the prospective purchaser by encompassing all aspects of systems
development within their product. Thi$ is often an extension of a well
founded paper-based methodology, although (as Macdonald notes) the
methodology is itself likely to change due to automation.
Section Four Open Tools
In contrast, Section Four examines products specifically defined as "open
tools", which may be tailored to accomodate a variety of techniques and
methods. These Integrated Project Support Environments (IPSE) are concerned
with supporting project development, but do not prescribe how that process
should take place.
The six papers of this section provide a good insight into the scope and
complexity of providing such an environment and the challenge of developing
"open tools". Each focusses on a different aspect of the creation of an
IPSE, but all emphasise the need for these tools to be portable and
integrated.
Section Five Environments and Approaches: Other Issues
Section Five picks up three themes that do not fit easily into the adopted
framework, yet are fundamental to it. There can be little doubt that an
active Data Dictionary is seen to be an essential facility of Fourth
Generation Languages and Analyst Workbenches. The first three papers of
this section examine the growth, development and implementation of Data
Dictionary Systems, from the perspective of two major vendors - MSP and
Oracle.
This is followed by an.introduction to the concept of the Application
Environment. This is an attempt to combine the powerful parts of Fourth
Generation Languages and Expert Systems, whilst discarding the parts that
make these latter tools either ineffective or esoteric. Frank Jones' paper
examines parys - an application environment that is restrictive in the types
of application it can address, but permits applications that are more "fully
developed, more quickly and by a less skilled designer than with the use of
a 4GL or an expert system shell." The particular application environment
addressed by the succeeding paper of Lau and Gough is that of Office
Automation.
Section Six Future Trends
Many of the tools described in the previous four sections are under test or
development and so, in this respect, they represent the future. However,
the papers we have put together in the final section, Future Trends, are
dtstinguished by their advocacy of radical change in the design and
development of information systems.
This section includes the keynote address of the conference given by Russell
Jones, the leading British writer in this area, suggesting that the whole
culture of systems development must change if automation is to be
successful.
vii
3 SUMMARY
These proceedings give a unique insight into the State of the Art of the
automation of Information System development from both an applied and a
research perspective. The papers range from the exhaustively researched,
(e.g. Riha and Rzevski, Dillistone et al, Brown, DeDourek et al) to the
considered opinions of experienced individuals (e.g. Russ Jones, Haine,
MacDonald). In the middle are the host of practical and technical solutions
to many of the problems of IS development. This automation is the most
significant event in Information System development since the Structured
Revolution of the late 1970's. It presents new opportunities in Information
System development and practice. It will undoubtedly change how many people
undertake their jobs and how organisations will plan their IS strategy. All
personnel involved in IS development have to be aware of its implications.
As Ian Macdonald concludes in his paper to the conference
"The future belongs to automated methodologies"
David Benyon Steve Skidmore
Open University Leicester Polytechnic
U.K. U.K.
October 1987
viii
CONTENTS
SECTION 1 - FOURTH GENERATION LANGUAGES 1
Toolbox Design Philosophy 3
T. Matthews and W. Alley
The Impact of Fourth Generation Tools in Practice -
Three Case Histories 9
S. Ratcliffe
A Case History of the Development and Implementation
of a System Using MIMER and Proto typing 19
Mel Gosling
Flexible Design of Manufacturing Information Systems 23
D.W. Wainwright
4GL Productivity Through Information Engineering 35
Peter Haine
DB4GL - An Intelligent Database System 41
F. Poole
SECTION 2 - WORK BENCH TOOLS 67
Can Fact-Finding Be Automated? 69
A. Parkin, S.R. Tho~nton, and P.J. Holley
Accelerating the Analysis/Design Transition
with the Transform Analyser 83
Helen Sharp
Implementing Relational Data Bases: Automating the
Mapping Process 93
D.E. Avison and J. Chaudhuri
PLEX - A Structured Line Diagram Editor 111
Susan J. Wright
MAJIC - Automating JSP Program Design and Development 121
A.F. Sutcliffe, P.J. Layzell, P. Loucopoulus,
. and C.G. Davis
Computer - Aided Design of Software: Research and Experience 135
K. Riha and G. Rzevski
ix
SECTION 3 - WORK BENCH TOOLS WITHIN A METHODOLOGY 159
Automating a Systems Development Methodology: The LBMS
Experience 161
N. Jones
Tetrarch - A System Development Methodology with Automated Tools 175
R. Mann
Inte11ipse: A Knowledge Based Tool for an Intergrated Project
Support Environment 187
J. Bader, D. Hannaford, A. Cochran, and J. Edwards
Methodologies and Tools for Real-Time Systems 195
A. Bruty
Making Structured Methods Work: Using an Embedded Expert
System to Monitor the Use of Methodology in an
Analyst's Workbench - The Information Engineering
Workbench 203
John Parkinson
Automating Information Engineering 213
1. G. MacDonald
Introducing Workbench Tools into a Development Environment 231
Tom McCabe
SECTION 4 - OPEN TOOLS 243
IPSEs in Support of Teams 245
P. Sellars
Perspective Kernel - The Basis for a General Purpose IPSE 251
P. Rumph and P. Rus1ing
Fortune - An IPSE Documentation Tool 257
Stuart McGowan
An Investigation into A Systems Development Technique 267
M.S. Verrall
A View Mechanism for An Integrated Project Support Environment 283
Alan W. Brown
Using Databases to Automate System Development 299
B.R. Dillistone, A.N. Earl, and R.P. Whittington
Knuth with Knobs on - Literate Program Development 315
J.P. Pardoe and S.J. Wade
SECTION 5 - ENVIRONMENTS AND APPROACHES: OTHER ISSUES 329
DATA DATA DICTIONARIES
The Role of the Corporate Dictionary 331
P. Redfearn
x
Entity Modeling and Intelligent Dictionaries 337
Richard Barker
Automated Support Using a Data Mainframe Data Dictionary
for Analysis and Data Modelling at a Major
International Bank 347
Simon Tyrrell-Lewis
APPLICATION ENVIRONMENTS
An Application Environment 353
Frank Jones
High Level Design for Office Automation with Supporting
Graphics Facilities 361
L.M.S. Lau and T.G. Gough
Are There Non Real-Time Systems? 389
G. Topping
The Use of Frame-Based Knowledge Representation
Techniques in Proto typing 397
1. Potts
SECTION 6 - FUTURE TRENDS
Time to Change the Culture of Information Systems Departments 421
Russel Jones
The Rubic Project: A New Paradgm for Information
Systems Development 427
R. Venken. F. Van Assche. P. Loucopou1os. and
P.J. Layzell
Designing a Method Driven Software Development Environment 441
James A. Redmond and Kevin T. Ryan
An Environment Definition Model for Meta System Support 453
J.M. DeDourek. A.J. McAllister. P.G. Sorenson.
J.P. Tremblay. and L.B. Protsko
Specifying Procedures to Office Systems 477
I.H. Witten. B.A. MacDonald. and S. Greenberg
INDEX 501
xi
