Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!snorkelwacker!apple!sun-barr!newstop!sun!frisbee!jcb From: jcb@frisbee.Sun.COM (Jim Becker) Newsgroups: comp.software-eng Subject: Re: CASE - The Emperor has no clothes on! Keywords: CASE rubbish Message-ID: <137090@sun.Eng.Sun.COM> Date: 11 Jun 90 23:16:24 GMT References: <37538@genrad.UUCP> <5190@stpstn.UUCP> Sender: news@sun.Eng.Sun.COM Lines: 30 cox@stpstn.UUCP (Brad Cox) writes: The trouble with Computer Aided Software Engineering is that it presumes the existence of such a thing as Software Engineering. After working with CASE for a number of years, one day it dawned on me that *all* software is developed using CASE! Ever develop software without the aid of a computer? :-) (keypunches don't count..) One reason that hardware is so far ahead of software is that it's development follows a process constrained by physical constrains. The CAE producers were able to leverage off the process and build more automated development and test systems. Because the software development process can remain so nebulous, in addition to there being multiple paths to a correct solution, the toughest thing about CASE is defining a system that provides an entire solution. Thus all the partial solutions fall by the wayside when their limitations are touched. It's my belief that the entire development process has to be changed. What has happened with the Japanese Sigma project for manufacturing software? It was supposed to be out in April. -Jim Becker -- Jim Becker / jcb%frisbee@sun.com / Sun Microsystems