Chapter 5. Modeling Software


A picture is worth a thousand words, and from this common adage, the integrated computer-aided software engineering (CASE) tool was born.

CASE, or modeling tools, emerged in the 1980s and were promoted as the silver bullet for rapid development, claiming to increase productivity and yield higher quality software. Consequently, they became one of the mainstay technologies of the RAD paradigm.

This chapter covers the use of models and modeling tools in the software development process. The Unified Modeling Language (UML) for defining software models is introduced, and we cover the advantages models bring to the task of developing component-based applications. Specifically, we shall see how UML models:

  • Communicate the software architecture to members of the team

  • Help validate the design and assess the impact of requirements and design changes

  • Assist in the process of exploring and understanding the structure and dynamics of applications and components

The chapter also examines the benefits of using modeling tools for constructing and maintaining models and provides guidelines for selecting a suitable modeling tool. We also cover how making models the center of the development process can improve developer productivity, yield higher quality software, and reduce timeframes.



    Rapid J2EE Development. An Adaptive Foundation for Enterprise Applications
    Rapid J2EEв„ў Development: An Adaptive Foundation for Enterprise Applications
    ISBN: 0131472208
    EAN: 2147483647
    Year: 2005
    Pages: 159
    Authors: Alan Monnox

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