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What Analysis and Design methods and tools are in active use at work these days?

 
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Hi all,
Which one of the older( comapred to say, UML) methods are still being used?
Any comments on the following:
System Run Chart
Data Flow Diagrams
Control Flow Diagram
Jackson Structured Programming
Pseudocode
Flowchart
Flowgraph
State Transition Diagram
Any other methods that you use at your workplace?
thanks.
 
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I've bumbed into Data Flow Diagrams, Control Flow Diagrams, Flowcharts, State Transition Diagrams, and pseudocode at work within a year or so.
 
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Don't know about "Jackson Structured Programming", but all the other things you mentioned (including UML) aren't methods. They are simply tools which may be appropriate to use in different situations. A method(ology) (like RUP, XP etc.) would more or less propose when to use which.
Regarding your question, I certainly use Pseudocode from time to time. I don't use the others, mostly because I don't know much about them (yet).
 
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I interact with a lot of old-timers seasoned mainframers who try to use UML but end up producing flowcharts dressed up as use cases or sequence diagrams. Old habits die hard and it's hard to change ways of thinking and attacking a problem. Not to say that the older methods are no good but it's just confusing sometimes when they're disguised or confused with something else.
[ August 19, 2003: Message edited by: Junilu Lacar ]
 
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I don't use them much, but occasionally I have a need for a flowchart-like construct, or FSM. I use pseudo code (which similar to a flow chart in many ways). I even used a something similar to a data dictionary recently.
Jackson Structure Programming is an approach to programming. I bought his book on Problem Frames on the recommendation of Daniel Jackson (MIT prof). Both Jackson's heavily emphasize program/problem modeling in the development process.
--Mark
 
Sonny Gill
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Thank you, everyone.
I am a self-taught programmer, and have recently gone back to uni to get some formal qualification. I have been trying to decide which one of the things that I have to cover as part of the course should I put extra effort into?
Do you think that in the modern IT scenerio (also the job requirements currently), it is ok to put more effort into UML at the expense of other methods( or tools, technically speaking )?
 
Lasse Koskela
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Do you think that in the modern IT scenerio (also the job requirements currently), it is ok to put more effort into UML at the expense of other methods( or tools, technically speaking )?


My opinion is, learn UML enough to understand all examples in a textbook. After that, refer to the specification/books when you bumb into something new. For the other, not-so-popular techniques, I'd say don't learn them until a need occurs. Mostly you'll understand just fine without having read a book about them.
 
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