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RE: Data Flow and Process Description Charts - what are they?
Subject:RE: Data Flow and Process Description Charts - what are they? From:"Guy A. McDonald" <guy -at- nstci -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Wed, 2 Feb 2000 14:06:44 -0600
Kandis Weiner wrote:
> I've been asked to do a data flow chart and a process description chart
for a whole bunch of website CGIs. I can gather from their titles what these
charts basically are. What I am wondering is if there are standards for data
flow and process description charts, in terms of what symbols to use to mean
what, or what information must be represented? Can anybody point me in the
direction of a website, or any other resource, for a description of these
charts and their standards/requirements?
-------
Hi Kandis,
Go to http://www.dogpile.com and enter CASE tool, you will get tons of links
for additional products which may be a little beyond what you seek.
Once you learn the concepts behind data models -- simple flow diagrams are
easily created with programs like VISIO.
Also, for you reading enjoyment should you desire to become the new Techwr-l
data flow diagram expert... dive into the bibliography I include below. Good
stuff!
Guy McDonald
guy -at- nstci -dot- com
"Team players don't talk, write or try to make a buck teaching about team
playing -- they just DO IT!"
--------
SOFTWARE
System Architect, Popkin Software & Systems, Inc.
Visible Analyst, Visible Systems Corporation
BOOKS
1. The Capability Maturity Model - Guidelines for Improving the Software
Process by Carnegie Mellon University Software Engineering Institute
This book provides a description and technical overview of the Software
Capability Maturity Model (CMM), along with guidelines for improving
software process management overall. It includes the CMM Framework, as well
as Key Practices. It provides a convenient reference to the CMM. The source
for these documents are also available from the SEI Website.
Addison-Wesley Publishing Company ISBN 0-20-1-54664-7
2. A Guide to CMM by Kenneth M. Dymond
This book provides an easy-to-use illustrated handbook to help interpret the
Software Engineering Institute's Capability Maturity Model for Software or
the CMM.
Process Inc. U.S. ISBN: 0964600803
3. Practical Software Metrics for Project Management and Process Improvement
by Robert Grady
This book provides a comprehensive view of metrics which are focused on
usability for project management and process improvement. It shares HP's
metrics philosophy and techniques used to justify, validate and constrain
process improvement efforts.
Prentice Hall ISBN 0-13-720384-5
4. Quality Software Management, Volume 1, Systems Thinking by Gerald M.
Weinberg
This book describes in detail and helps to develop a manager's ability to
understand complex situations so that you can observe and act in order to
keep the project going according to plan, or modify the plan.
Dorset House Publishing ISBN 0-932633-22-6 (v. 1)
5. Quality Software Management, Volume 2, First-Order Measurement by Gerald
M. Weinberg
This book describes in detail and helps to develop a manager's ability to
observe what's happening and to understand the significance of your
observations in terms of effective adaptive actions.
Dorset House Publishing ISBN 0-932633-24-2 (v. 2)
6. Quality Software Management, Volume 3, Congruent Action by Gerald M.
Weinberg
This book describes in detail and helps to develop a manager's ability to
act appropriately in difficult interpersonal situations, even though you may
be confused, angry, or so afraid you want to run away and hide.
Dorset House Publishing ISBN 0-932633-28-5
7. Quality Software Management, Volume 4, Anticipating Change by Gerald M.
Weinberg
From systems thinking to project management to technology transfer to the
interaction of culture and process, this volume analyzes change from a broad
range of perspectives, spanning the spectrum of sources of organizational
change.
Dorset House Publishing ISBN 0-932633-32-3
8. Cleanroom Software Engineering: A Reader by Jesse H. Poore & Carmen J.
Trammell
This in-depth treatment of the complete cleanroom process includes papers by
the world's leading cleanroom specialists, complemented by the editors'
critiques. It relates software engineering theory and practice wherever
possible to appeal to practitioners, academics and students.
An Overview of Cleanroom Software Engineering; Specification Practices;
Development Practices; Certification Practices; Using Cleanroom to Raise
Software Process Maturity; A Team-based Organization Structure for Support
of Cleanroom Development; Informtion Management of the Cleanroom Process
Idea Group Publishing ISBN 1-878289-34-9
10. Code Complete: A Practical Handbook of Software Construction by Steve
McConnell
Contains state-of-the-art information that can help you write better
programs in less time with fewer headaches. Provides an encyclopedic
treatment of software construction, the most important part of the
software-development cycle. It contains some 500 examples of code (good and
bad) and includes ready-to-use checklists to help you assess your
architecture, design approach, and module and routine quality. See
Amazon.com's review.
Microsoft Press ISBN: 1-556154-84-4
11. Design Patterns - Elements of Reusable Object-Oriented Software by Erich
Gamma, Helm, Johnson, Vlissides
This book organizes and presents a catalog of proven design idioms for
structuring, creating, and manipulating objects. More importantly, it names
these design constructs, allowing teams to share a common vocabulary.
Addison-Wesley Publishing Company ISBN 0-201-63361-2
12. Designing the User Interface - Strategies for Effective Human-Computer
Interaction by Ben Shneiderman
This book provides a complete introduction to user interface design
considerations including affects on system performance, user productivity,
satisfaction, and clarity of user's experience. It describes practical
guidelines and techniques necessary for effective design and usability
testing.
Addison-Wesley Publishing Company ISBN 0-201-57286-9
13. Requirements Engineering - A Good Practice Guide by Ian Sommerville &
Pete Sawyer
Written for software designers, engineers and developers, this book is a
practical answer guide on how to tackle the problems involved in
discovering, analyzing, and negotiating Requirements for systems in
development. This book also covers the standards and methods for
Requirements, including ISO 9000 and the SEI's Capability Maturity Model.
John Wiley & Sons ISBN 0-47-197444-7
14. Software Architecture: Perspectives on an Emerging Discipline by Mary
Shaw & David Garlan
Shaw and Garland examine the useful abstractions and paradigms of system
design as well as key notations and tools. They present an introduction to
software architecture that illustrates the current state of the discipline
and examines ways in which architectural issues can impact software design.
Prentice Hall ISBN: 0-131829-57-2
15. What Every Programmer Should Know About Object Oriented Design by Meilir
Page-Jones
This book clarifies the fundamentals of object orientation in a
language-independent way. It documents a comprehensive notation for
object-oriented design that can depict the design for a whole system or
minor sub-system.
