A Work Definition Language
Date
1996-08
Authors
McCann, Robert T.
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Journal ISSN
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Abstract
All organized human endeavor can be described and modeled graphically through the use of appropriately defined symbols and notations on directed graphs. Such a system of symbols and notations with semantics and syntax is called a work definition language (WDL).1 In software development, there are several methods used for describing various views of the system to be automated.2 In this thesis, it is established that several of these methods produce complimentary views of the system and that these views may be easily unified into a consistent whole when a standard presentation system, such as a WDL, is used. Using a WDL, the results of different analysis methods, such as State Transition Diagrams, Control Flow Diagrams, Data Flow Diagrams, and Process Flow Diagrams, can be easily combined into one unified model of a system to be automated. Entity Relationship Diagrams (E-R Diagrams) are included in this WDL because semantic data models are just another view of the system to be automated.3 E-R Diagrams depict the logical form of the data identified in the data dictionary, data flows, object models, process models and control flow diagrams. Because different analysis methods depict different models (views) of the same system and use different presentation schemes, it is very difficult to develop one unified view of the system to be automated. Using a WDL offers a convenient way to present the different views of the system to be automated.4
1 Martin, Cecil, CS5393 course notes.
2 Pressman, Roger S., Software Engineering, A Practitioner's Approach. third edition, McGraw-Hill, 1992, ch. 11, 12, 13.
3 Booch, Grady, Object Oriented Design with Applications. The Benjamin Cumings Publishing company, Inc., 1991, ch.5.
4 Booch, ch. 5.
Description
Keywords
computer software, graphic methods, system design, programming languages, graphical user interface, process control, computer integrated manufacturing systems
Citation
McCann, Robert T. (1996), A work definition language (Unpublished thesis). Southwest Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas.