The Software Development Facility Approach to Improved Software Development.

Most organizations today are faced with numerous problems in the development of software to meet their data and information processing needs. This dissertation explores the software development facility (SDF) approach to the solution of these problems. Some success has been achieved in the past with the use of higher level languages and development support tools. Such approaches, however, are generally designed for a specific portion of the software development cycle with minimal considerations for other activities. The SDF approach involves the integration of software tools into an easy-to-use decision support system. The thesis of this dissertation is that a generalized SDF approach can be provided which allows an organization to readily take advantage of this technology, and that given such an approach numerous benefits such as improvements in the software design process, the elimination of needless human effort, and improvements in the maintenance process can be achieved. To accomplish this, the dissertation provides a descriptive model of a software system and the various environments in which such a software system could operate. This model provides the motivation and foundation for the design of a generalized SDF which can be adapted to differing organizational and development support environments. The adaptability is accomplished by the use of a "meta" definition function which allows an organization to describe software objects and relationships between objects of particular interest. The adaptability is further enhanced by the inclusion of a tool control function which integrates the various tools used in the development process. All pertinant data about the development process is maintained by a database management function. The major usage functions include design, reporting, construction, testing, and management support. All user interaction with the SDF is via a user-friendly comm and language. A prototype development facility, implemented within a particular environmental setting, is then described. The use of the facility on a specific software development project is also described. Results from the project show a substantial reduction in the manpower required when using the software development facility.Ph.D.Systems scienceUniversity of Michiganhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/158472/1/8125141.pd