Structured English in System Analysis and Design
Structured English is a technique used in system analysis and design to describe the logic of a system's processes in a clear and concise way. It combines the readability of natural language with the precision of programming constructs.
Here's a breakdown of its role:
- Purpose: Clearly document the steps involved in a system's functionalities.
- Benefits:
- Improves communication between analysts, designers, and users by using familiar language with a structured approach.
- Enhances the clarity and maintainability of system design documents.
- Aids in identifying potential flaws in the logic before coding begins.
- Structure:
- Uses a limited set of English verbs like "display," "calculate," "update," etc.
- Incorporates control flow keywords like "IF," "WHILE," "FOR EACH" for decision-making and loops.
- Avoids unnecessary adjectives and adverbs for better focus.
Relationship to Structured Analysis and Design (SA/SD):
Structured English is one of the tools used within the SA/SD methodology. SA/SD is a systematic approach for developing software systems. Here's how they work together:
- Structured Analysis: Analyzes the existing system (if applicable) and defines the requirements for the new system. This might involve Data Flow Diagrams (DFDs) to map data flow and functionalities.
- Structured Design: Uses the analysis results to design the new system's architecture. Structured English comes into play here to describe the logic within each process or function identified in the DFDs.
- Coding: The structured English descriptions are then translated into actual programming code.
Overall, Structured English helps bridge the gap between the high-level requirements of a system and the detailed code that implements it.
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