Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!rutgers!rochester!udel!burdvax!sdcrdcf!trwrb!aero!polack
From: polack@aero.ARPA (Alexander J. Polack)
Newsgroups: comp.software-eng
Subject: CASE tools
Message-ID: <22375@aero.ARPA>
Date: 6 Jan 88 18:58:07 GMT
Reply-To: polack@aero.UUCP (Alexander J. Polack)
Organization: The Aerospace Corporation, El Segundo, CA
Lines: 51
Keywords:CASE, tools, evaluation

I have received a number of calls and E-Mail messages in response to my
original comment that I have done an evaluation of CASE tools.
Most people want a copy of a report. Unfortunately, the full report is
not available to public at present time.

In a very near future (1-2 months) I am planning to publish an
abriviated version of the report including the evaluation methodology.

Bellow are some excerpts from my article that should give some indication of
what I have done.

The following tools were evaluated:

	TekCASE
	Teamwork
	Software Through Pictures
	DesignAid
	Exelerator
	TAGS
	Statemate

In my evaluation I've looked into the following areas:

	1. Methodologies the tool supports.
	2. Platforms (workstations) and Operating Systems it supports.
	3. Ease of use.
	4. Ease of learning
	5. Tool robustness
	6. Its interface with other tools.
	7. User interface.
	8. Quality of support.
	
The above list is NOT in the order of importance. However, I did concentrate
on the "front end" parts of the software development cycle (analysis/design),
considered ONLY tools that run on the 32 bit workstations with high resolution
bit-mapped graphics displays that run multi-tasking/multi-user operating
systems.

I placed the issue of methodology support at the top of the list, since 
"a tool is just that - a tool". Very often if a tool does not support some 
useful methodology that can be taught by experts, it quickly becomes a very
expensive graphic tool, and produces a very large number of dissatisfied
users.

When it becomes possible, I will let this group know where and when my
report is being published.

	Regards,

	Alex Polack
	(213)373-5723