 - CASE (computer-aided software engineering) is the use of a computer-assisted method to organize and control the development of software, especially on large, complex projects involving many software components and people. Using CASE allows designers, code writers, testers, planners, and managers to share a common view of where a project stands at each stage of development. CASE helps ensure a disciplined, check-pointed process. A CASE tool may portray progress (or lack of it) graphically. It may also serve as a repository for or be linked to document and program libraries containing the project's business plans, design requirements, design specifications, detailed code specifications, the code units, test cases and results, and marketing and service plans.
CASE originated in the 1970s when computer companies were beginning to borrow ideas from the hardware manufacturing process and apply them to software development (which generally has been viewed as an insufficiently disciplined process). Some CASE tools supported the concepts of structured programming and similar organized development methods. More recently, CASE tools have had to encompass or accommodate visual programming tools and object-oriented programming. In corporations, a CASE tool may be part of a spectrum of processes designed to ensure quality in what is developed. (Many companies have their processes audited and certified as being in conformance with the ISO 9000 standard.)
Some of the benefits of CASE and similar approaches are that, by making the customer part of the process (through market analysis and focus groups, for example), a product is more likely to meet real-world requirements. Because the development process emphasizes testing and redesign, the cost of servicing a product over its lifetime can be reduced considerably. An organized approach to development encourages code and design reuse, reducing costs and improving quality. Finally, quality products tend to improve a corporation's image, providing a competitive advantage in the marketplace.
| CONTRIBUTORS: |
Bill Meecham |
| LAST UPDATED: |
15 Jun 2005
|
 |
Read more about CASE:
|
|
Do you have something to add to this definition? Let us know.
Send your comments to techterms@whatis.com
|
|
