Structured analysis and design technique: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 06:59, 3 September 2011

Revision as of 04:31, 7 September 2011

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== Overview ==

Structured Analysis and Design Technique (SADT) is a [[diagram]]matic notation designed specifically to help people describe and understand [[system]]s.<ref name="sadt">D. Marca, C. McGowan, Structured Analysis and Design Technique, McGraw-Hill, 1987, ISBN 0-07-040235-3</ref>. It offers building blocks to represent entities and activities, and a variety of arrows to relate boxes. These boxes and arrows have an associated informal [[semantics]].<ref name ="JM04"> John Mylopoulos (2004). [http://www.cs.toronto.edu/~jm/2507S/Notes04/SADT.pdf Conceptual Modelling III. Structured Analysis and Design Technique (SADT)]. Retrieved 21 Sep 2008.</ref> SADT can be used as a functional analysis tool of a given process, using successive levels of details. The SADT method allows to define user needs for IT developments, which is very used in the industrial Information Systems, but also to explain and to present an activity’s manufacturing processes, procedures.<ref name="FL">[http://www.free-logistics.com/index.php/Download-document/22-SADT_eng.html SADT] at Free-logisitcs.com. Retrieved 21 Sep 2008.</ref>

The SADT supplies a specific functional view of any enterprise by describing the functions and their relationships in a company. These functions fulfill the objectives of a company, such as sales, order planning, product design, part manufacturing, and human resource management. The SADT can depict simple functional relationships here and can reflect data and control flow relationships between different functions.

== History ==

SADT has been developed and field-tested during the period of 1969 to 1973 by [[Douglas T. Ross]] and [[SofTech, Inc.]].<ref name="sadt"/><ref name="ross1977">D. T. Ross: Structured Analysis (SA): A Language for Communicating Ideas. IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering, SE-3(1), pp. 16-34. [http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpls/abs_all.jsp?isnumber=35896&arnumber=1702399&count=9&index=1 Abstract]</ref><ref name="sadt"/> The methodology was used in the MIT [[APT (programming language)|Automatic Programming Tool]] (APT) project. It received extensive use starting in 1973 by the US Air Force [[Integrated Computer Aided Manufacturing]] program.

According to Levitt (2000) "it is part of a series of structured methods, that represent a collection of analysis, design, and programming techniques that were developed in response to the problems facing the software world from the 1960s to the 1980s. In this timeframe most commercial programming was done in [[COBOL]] and [[Fortran]], then [[C (programming language)|C]] and [[BASIC]]. There was little guidance on “good” design and programming techniques, and there were no standard techniques for documenting requirements and designs. Systems where getting larger and more complex, and the information system development became harder and harder to do so. As a way to help manage large and complex software. Since the end 1960 multiple Structured Methods emerged".<ref name="DL00" >Dave Levitt (2000):[http://faculty.inverhills.edu/dlevitt/CS%202000%20(FP)/Introduction%20to%20Structured%20Analysis%20and%20Design.pdf Introduction to Structured Analysis and Design]. Retrieved 21 Sep 2008.</ref>

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== SADT Topics ==

[[Image:6 Decomposition Structure.svg|thumb|240px|right|Top down decomposition structure.]][[Image:Sadt.png|thumb|240px|right|An SADT example.]]

=== Top down approach ===

The structured analysis and design technique uses a decomposition with the [[Top-down and bottom-up design|top-down approach]]. This decomposition is conducted only in the physical ___domain from an axiomatic design viewpoint. Because of this nonzigzagging process, there is no guarantee of functionality or productivity. Therefore, those methods faded away as the requirements for software systems increased and the object-oriented method was introduced.<ref> Nam Pyo Suh (2007). [http://www.axiomaticdesign.com/technology/ADSChapter5.html ''Axiomatic Design - Advances and Applications'']. New York : Oxford University Press Chapter 5, pp. 239-298.</ref>

=== Diagrams ===

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== Further reading ==

* William S. Davis (1992). ''Tools and Techniques for Structured Systems Analysis and Design''. Addison-Wesley. ISBN 0201102749

* Marca, D.A., and C.L. McGowan. (1988). ''SADT: structured analysis and design technique''. McGraw-Hill Book Co., Inc.: New York, NY.

* Jerry FitzGerald and Ardra F. FitzGerald (1987). ''Fundamentals of Systems Analysis: Using Structured Analysis and Design Techniques''. Wiley. ISBN 0471885975

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== External links ==

{{CommonscatCommons category|SADT}}

*[http://www.idef.com/idef0.htm The IDEF0 method]

*[http://www.cs.toronto.edu/~jm/2507S/Notes04/SADT.pdf A course about SADT diagrams]