9. Software Analysis and Design – Methods and Methodologies

Finally, we've arrived at a state where theory and ideas can be turned into practice. The starting point for this? When a customer arrives on our doorstep asking us to develop a software system for their application. It finishes when the delivered software runs reliably, correctly, and safely in the target system (cynics may argue that by this definition, most jobs are never finished). However, what concerns us here is the piece that fits between the two end states, the design and development phases. Just how do we go about this process? What methods should we use? What tools are available? How can we best use these tools? In this chapter, we'll concentrate on the methods used to deduce exactly what our software should do (analysis), then look at ways to design software to meet these needs.

There are two major steps in the development process. The first involves translating the customer's requirements...