Towards flexible process support with a CASE shell

Abstract

CASE technology for improving information systems development (ISD) is mostly based on the creation and verification of IS models using a fixed set of techniques. However, ISD is a complex activity, which requires well selected and suited methodologies and development practices for different situations. This calls for CASE shells (metaCASE environments) in which the methodologies can be tailored. Further, the quality of produced deliverables (e.g. specifications and models) is dependent on the development process. The focus of this paper is on integrating a flexible process support into a CASE shell. The ISD process is specified using a graphical process model, the purposes of which are the guidance and coordination of various activities, and the management of the IS deliverables produced during the development. In this paper process modeling requirements are discussed, and the methodology engineering --especially the process modeling --process using a CASE shell is described.

Method rationale in method engineering and use

“…phases, steps, decisions, milestones or reviews (Marttiin, 1994). Overall, the captured method rationale can be applied to method evaluation and improvement, to raise the level of consciousness and communication among the stakeholders, and to provide a help or learning system.…”

Process support in MetaCASE: implementing the conceptual basis for enactable process models in MetaEdit+

“…The ideas presented in our earlier study [22] are chrystallised after the tool development. First, we discuss the requirements for capturing process knowledge suitable for both user and the environment (in Section 2).…”

“…However, even though a CASE environment provided this kind of automated "process chunks" a project also needs a largegrained process model, which is visible to developers [22] and aimed to aid project co-ordination and guidance [39]. We believe that by hard-coding this process into supporting tools problems may be caused in evolving projects.…”

“…Our aims are both to provide guidance for CASE users and to enact CASE tasks. The main difficulty we have faced in earlier studies (see [22]) is the question: how can we build process support for different projects by increasing tailorability of a process modelling language (PML). To clarify the solution introduced in this paper we need to discuss the formalization and customizability aspects of PMLs and process models (Figure 1).…”

A Model-Driven Approach for the Design, Implementation, and Execution of Software Development Methods

“…The inflexibility of traditional CASE tools led to the emergence of new technology: metaCASE environments [76,77,78] (also known as customizable CASE environments [20,79] or CASE shells [80,81]). The main goal of metaCASE environments was to provide metatools that made the construction and adaptation of CASE environments quicker and easier.…”