CASE Tools

Overview Creating, updating, and troubleshooting information systems are not simple tasks. Many information system designers use computer-aided software engineering (CASE) tools to create, analyze, and maintain systems. CASE tools resources are prominent on the Internet, with links to general information, software downloads, and commercial CASE software publishers.

General Information CASE software automates, manages, and simplifies the development of information systems by providing tools to summarize system requirements, diagram old and proposed systems, schedule development tasks, prepare documentation, and develop program code. You'll find a lengthy, discussion of CASE tools and applications in "The Effective Use of Automated Application Development Tools" by P. J. Guinan, J. G. Cooprider, and S. Sawyer. Another great source for introductory information about CASE tools can be found at www.sei.cmu.edu/legacy/case/. A thorough definition and article on general CASE  information is hosted by Wikipedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/, which includes links to product manufacturers of CASE tools. A more thorough explanation of CASE can be found at http://www.npd-solutions.com/case.html. Visit http://www.powells.com/ for a complete list of books about  CASE and other closely related topics. An alphabetically listed index of links to many different CASE tools can be found at www.cs.queensu.ca/. Finally, you can locate information about the major CASE software products at vendor sites such as CASEwise (www.casewise.com), PowerDesigner (www.sybase.com/products/), Designer/2000 (www.oracle.com), WinA&D (excelsoftware.com), and System Architect (www.popkin.com).

Additional Links If you are looking for a Web site that serves as a good portal for CASE tool information, look no further than www.compinfo-center.com. The site includes CASE background information, a glossary, current articles, product reviews, and discussion forums. This Web page also provides numerous additional CASE software, company, and Web site resources.