Despite the fact that the engineering is constantly being enriched with the new notions and techniques which add the new ways and methods to make the process of engineering quicker and flawless, the science still has its basics, which are modeling, prototyping and CASE tools. Whenever there is a computer problem to solve, there is always the necessity to take the abovementioned notions into account. The quality of the program working depends on these issues to the highest degree.
Now I would like to give definition for these notions.
Modeling includes creating the scheme, the outline for the future project. It enables the engineer to help to see the problem at once and to understand the ways to solve the puzzle. As Shelly points it out, there are three kinds of modeling that can improve the process:
The system analysis phase includes four main activities: requirements modeling, data and process modeling, object modeling and consideration of development strategies. (138)
As it can be seen, modeling is basically creating a platform which will hold the program atop.
The next element, prototyping, means that a certain piece of work is produced quickly as a draft: “prototyping produces an early, rapidly constructed working version of the proposed information system called a prototype” (Shelly 314).
However, the prototype version can have certain mixed effects on the system operation:
Some found prototyping to be positively related to higher system performance, but others found that prototyping might create less robust, less functional systems, with potentially less coherent designs. (Chiang 51)
Thus, it is clear that the idea of prototyping concerns a draft of the future program that highlights all the details of the program yet represents just an outline, not being a complete work yet.
The last issue of the computer engineering processes to speak about is the one called CASE tools. Following the deciphering that Lyytinen provides (1), CASE is computer aided software engineering. Thus, the basics of their work can be defined in the following way:
The field of CASE is, in principle, very broad and ranges from simple tools such as linkers, loaders or compilers up to complicated integrated environments. In more recent thinking, however, CASE has been largely adopted to denote a more narrow range of technologies. (1)
Combined together, the three issues of computer engineering can actually work. These are the ground for the computer programs to be created. Taking into consideration that these stages include the use of the tools that are constantly developing, the computer engineering keeps going on without stopping, which makes it one of the lead sciences in the 21st century.
The stages described above make the initial draft for the future computer program to stem from and remain the cornerstone for programming processes.
Works Cited
Chiang, Roger, Keng Siau, Bill C. Object-Oriented Systems Analysis and Design Using UML. London: McGraw-Hill International. 2002. Print.
Lyytinen, Kalle. Next Generation CASE Tools. New York, NY: IOS Press, 2009. Print.
Shelly Gary B., Harry J. Rosenblatt. System Analysis and Design. New York, NY: Sengage Learning. 2009. Print.