EasyCASE Plus(tm) EasyCASE Plus is an easy-to-use CASE (Computer Aided Software Engineering) tool intended to simplify the production and maintenance of: Data Flow Diagrams (DFDs) - Yourdon/DeMarco and Gane & Sarson, Transformation Graphs (data/control flow schema diagrams) - Ward & Mellor and Hatley-Pirbhai real time extensions supported. State Transition Diagrams - Ward & Mellor and Hatley-Pirbhai, Structure Charts - Yourdon/Constantine and Page-Jones, Data Structure Diagrams - Jackson, Entity Relationship Diagrams (ERDs) - Chen, Bachman, Shlaer-Mellor, and Elmasri & Navathe, Data Model Diagrams - Martin. EasyCASE Plus provides the capability to add the appropriate objects (processes, stores, terminators, flows, functions, modules, couples, connections, states, transitions, entities, relationships etc.) to a chart, connect them, associate them, describe them to the Data Dictionary and manipulate them. EasyCASE Plus maintains certain information about each object, its connections to and relationships with other chart objects. Objects can be added, moved, deleted, labelled, identified, connected to and associated with other objects on the chart. If an object is modified in any way, any other similarly identified or associated objects on the chart are modified also. For example (i) if a data process symbol on a transformation graph is moved, any attached data and/or control flows and their labels are moved also, remaining connected to, and associated with, the moved symbol; (ii) if a function symbol on a structure chart is deleted, any attached connections and associated data or control flow arrows (couples) and their labels are deleted also; (iii) if a previously defined object identifier is re-used, the new object will inherit its attributes from the data dictionary, including its label, type, description, explosion definition etc. EasyCASE Plus is built upon a data dictionary and stores object data (attributes) for use by all objects in all charts organized together as a project set. This allows any object defined on a chart to be available for re-use or re-definition on any other chart in the same project group. Object attributes are provided in the data dictionary to : (i) Identify (to the data dictionary) and label objects of various types. (ii) Enable symbols such as data processes to define a 'child' chart allowing the capability to move up and down charts in a hierarchy (chart linking) by simply selecting such symbols. For example, it is possible to 'explode' down to lower level dfds from a data process on a DFD, to an ERD or DSD from a data store on a DFD or to a state transition diagram from a control transform on a transformation graph. In addition, it is possible to 'explode' down to a text editor from a symbol enabling primitive process specs to be added in the form of Pseudocode, Structured English or even source code. Composite data structures can be defined in the form of a data record, allowing data stores and flows on DFDs, stores on structure charts and entities on ERDs to share the same definition. Any object on a chart can 'explode' to any (named) chart type, text file or record definition. (iii) Enable data flows to be defined in the form of a record structure, or control flows to be specified in the form of control tables, consisting of sub-groups and/or elements. Data and control flows may be defined using the common notational schemes defined by Yourdon-DeMarco or Backus-Naur. This would typically include use of the 'is composed of (=)', 'and (+)', 'optional ()', iteration {}', selection []', comment (**)' and 'alternative choices (|)' symbols. A data record definition may be entered using combinations of these symbols together with the names of constituent data entities. (iv) Attach an alias (eg. a code mnemonic) to an object. (v) Attach a short textual description to an object. (vi) Miscellaneous (user definable) fields are also provided. EasyCASE Plus provides a data dictionary manager to enable addition, copying, deletion, undeletion, viewing, modification, renaming and packing of object records in the data dictionary. Any type of object, previously identified to the data dictionary, can be manipulated or new objects can be added. Pop-up dialog and list boxes are used to present the user with selection lists of object types and names and for object data entry. A basic set of pre-defined data dictionary and chart object reports can be produced enabling checking of chart file object definitions and relationships and listing of data dictionary object records of user selectable types. This allows the user to determine if chart objects have been completely and accurately defined in the data dictionary and to determine their inter- relationships and dependencies. Reports can be printed on a variety of printers (see below), or to text files for inclusion in documentation, together with the chart images themselves. The data dictionary and individual chart objects relationship data can be exported to, and imported from, dBASE III Plus and SDF compatible file formats. This enables the user to optionally process the data using a Relational Database Management System (RDBMS) of his choice. This may allow more extensive data dictionary record query, data entry, modification and reporting capabilities using a separate, external RDBMS such as dBASE III Plus, dBASE IV, Clipper, Paradox, FoxBase+, dBXL, Alpha Four etc. EasyCASE Plus uses a graphical user interface and mouse and makes extensive use of carefully designed and implemented pop-up dialog boxes, selection boxes, list boxes and menus. EasyCASE Plus makes extensive use of a mouse for selecting chart areas to print/plot or export, select commands from menus and dialog boxes and working with objects. Color is used (EGA/VGA graphics card and color monitor only) for dialog boxes and for highlighting selected and modified objects. EasyCASE Plus provides a large (6 page) drawing area supported by several zoom modes, scrolling around which can be performed using the mouse or keyboard. The whole chart or a user selectable area can be printed or plotted to a number of output devices which are compatible with the following; Epson FX, Epson LQ, IBM Graphics Printers, Hewlett-Packard Graphics Language (HPGL) 7475 and 7550 Plotters and HP QuietJet, LaserJet (HPLJ) and DeskJet printers. Charts can be printed at 100, 150 and 300 dpi resolution on HP LaserJet and DeskJet printers using an assortment of provided fonts, including serif and sans-serif, single and double stroke, and script type fonts. Chart fragments can also be exported in Microsoft Windows Paint, PC Paintbrush, HPGL and CGM file formats for incorporation into documents when using a desktop publishing or word processing program which can import these paint images or metafiles, such as Pagemaker, Ventura Publisher, Lotus Manuscript, PFS:First Publisher, Word, WordPerfect etc. EasyCASE Plus requires an IBM PC or compatible (-AT recommended, math co-processor optional) equipped with a Hercules (HGC), EGA or VGA graphics card (100% IBM compatible) connected to a monochrome or enhanced color monitor, 640 kbytes of RAM, Hard Disk and a Microsoft or compatible mouse running under DOS version 3.1 or later. Site licensing agreements, annual maintenance agreements, dealer pricing and volume purchase pricing are available, please contact us for further details. EasyCASE Pro provides for methodology rule checking of chart object associations and data dictionary object records syntax and performs level balancing of data and control flows, processes, terminators and stores on data flow diagrams and transformation graphs. Evergreen CASE Tools, 11025 164th. Avenue NE, Redmond, WA 98052 USA. Tel : (206)-881-5149 February 17th, 1990