Introduction to CASE Tools

COMP285 Lectures 2022-01-31

Computer-aided software engineering is the application of computer-assisted tools and methods in software development to ensure a high-quality and defect-free software.

Why Tools are Used

Software tools are used for the following reasons:

Productivity Cost
Accuracy
Quality
Safety

When CASE is used properly:

You will become a better software engineer.
You will work better with others.
Your code will be tested more.
You will do things you wouldn’t normally bother to do.
- Refactoring code.
Your life in software engineering will be slightly less stressful.

CASE tools can be:

General Purpose:
- Build and test tools.
  - Language agnostic.
Specialist:
- Load testing
- DoS tool
  - Low Orbit Ion Cannon

Evolution of CASE

Machine Language
- No real CASE.
Assembly Language
- Still no checks
- All abstraction in the programmer’s head.
High Level Language Compilers
- Abstractions are part of the language.
- Code is capable of:
  - Being structured.
  - Being tested as part of compilation.
Interpreters

Programs can be:
- Source Code Based
  - Fast turnaround time.
  - No pre-compile check.
  - Only checks running code.
- Intermediary Code Based
  - Slower turnaround time.
  - Supports pre-compile checks.
  - Allow for multiple languages to be converted to the same intermediate language.

CASE Tools

Programming Tools

Machine Language
Assembler
Compiler
Interpreter

IDEs
- Editing tools.
Refactoring
Tool Integration

Testing & Debugging Tools

Debuggers
- Generally focused on specific programming languages.
Logic Analysers
Profiler
- View where time is spend running your code.
Logger
Testing Framework
Stress & Security Testers

Management Process & Collaboration Tools

Project Scheduler
Bug Management
Document source code version control.
Wikis
Cost estimation tools.

Design Development Tools

UML Editors
Code Generators
Reverse Engineering
Database ORM Tools
- Allow you to test on database object data.