TOWARDS THE AUTOMATIC-GENERATION OF SOFTWARE DIAGRAMS

Escalating manpower costs in developing systems have caused an increasing need for greater productivity in system development. This is particularly true in the analysis and design phases. Productivity in the system analysis phase can be increased with the use of computer-aided tools. For example, a structured analysis and documentation tool-the data flow diagram-allows an analyst to model and document a syste with relative ease. However, the manual production of a data flow diagram is a time consuming process. Combining the production of data flow diagrams with SPSL/SPSA, a system for specifying system requirements produces a synergistic effect on increases in productivity. As well, it ensures the use of standards and the completeness of the diagram. This paper formulates the criteria for drawing data flow diagrams and describes the placement and routing algorithms used in a system called MONDRIAN. A generalized approach to the question of software diagrams is then proposed based on our experience with MONDRIAN and a metasystem approach to the creation of CASE environments. A formal approach to the definition of software objects and their graphical representation is given. Finally, the use of location constraints as a basis for generalized layout algorithms is discussed.