Infusion of a CASE tool into an existing project

Abstract

The infusion of a modern computer-aided software engineering tool, superCASE, into an existing project, using the PL/M language, is discussed. The requirements, problems, and benefits from using such a tool are examined. Program understandability, maintainability, and reliability were improved far more than expected. Not a single interface problem was found during the integration. Because the code appeared in a uniform fashion due to enforcement of the coding standards, it was very easy to move code around among the programmers. It is concluded that it is worthwhile to use a strong tool even in its infancy, provided that there is an acceptable level of support and attention from the developer.<>