(374 Views) (2 Comments)
Posted by: cadams5 on Wednesday, August 01, 2007
Categories: Unified Modeling Language (UML), Structured Systems Analysis (DFDs, ERDs, etc.)

This article describes a common pitfall of thinking of analysis and design together as a single process, and highlights the need to treat analysis and design as two separate processes. The author, points out that much of the UML standard, as it is explained today, is described in terms of design artifacts rather than analysis artifacts.

Author: Conrad Weisert

Comments

By putchavn @ Sunday, September 16, 2007 7:56 PM

Good to separate Analysis and point out that UML actually mixes Analysis and Design.

Use Case Diagram and Use Case Descriptions may be used for Req Analysis / Specification because they describe WHAT the User Wants the System to Provide without spelling out HOW.

The prerequisite for this is "IS MAP" of the current Business Processes which are sought to be automated.

By ajmarkos @ Wednesday, July 16, 2008 11:27 AM

Hi:

Your are so right. Ever since OOA came out, analysis has been preceived as part of design. But, analysis is about discovery, it is not about solutions.

Use Case and Activity Diagram = To-Be, Forced, Artifical Partitioning, No Lithmus Test Of Completedness of the Discovery Process. Therefore, these fail as an analysis tool.

Data Flow Diagram = As-Is, Logical, Natural Partitioning, Has a Built In Lithmus Test Of Completedness of the Discovery Process (the data flows, as a function is defined by its data flows). A DFD is the most solid functional analysis tool yet created.

Tony

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