Software development with ConceptDraw DIAGRAM
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ConceptDraw is a tool for technical and business graphics. It provides specialists who create graphic documentation with a possibility to focus not on the process of drawing itself but on the essence of the task. For this ConceptDraw features a huge number of ready-to-use objects (4590 for the moment of writing the article), smart connectors, layers, hyperlinks and many other possibilities.
Modern development of program software leads to a large amount of graphic documentation: diagrams describing the work of applications in various cuts and notations, GUI design, documentation on project management. Each of these fields is represented by topical libraries and templates. To ConceptDraw DIAGRAM new possibilities have been added, thanks to which the program became a sequence higher useful for developers. The most considerable innovations are:
Let us consider typical applications.
Object-oriented design
Over the recent years object-oriented methodology has become more and more widespread. Thanks to this methodology developers manage to deal with growing complexity of applications. More and more programs are written in such programming languages as C++, Java, Visual Basic and Object Pascal. However, the complexity of the designed systems imposes extended requirements as to design of graphic documentation. ConceptDraw possesses powerful tools for designing of technical documentation for object-oriented projects. The libraries included in the package allow to easily draw class hierarchies, object hierarchies and diagrams of data flows with the use of the most popular notations, including UML and Booch notations. And the library for projecting COM-interfaces will spare developers of ActiveX-servers a headache. Flowcharts of algorithms and business-processes
Prototyping Graphical User Interface (GUI)
Project management
For a large-scale project to be completed successfully it should be thoroughly projected. One of the generally recognized and visual tools for projecting and tracking timeliness of the work on a project is a Gantt chart. ConceptDraw offers the wizard for automatic creation of Gantt chart. The other side of the question of project management is the dynamism of changes. Changes in a project and its documentation are made daily. All updates should be done in time and be available to each developer. ConceptDraw offers many methods of solving this question:
Automation of management and development processConceptDraw DIAGRAM supports XML. XML for ConceptDraw has been created and, at the same time, support for import XML for Visio. All this allows to develop solutions for automation of various aspects of software development.For instance:
Visualization of dataConceptDraw is a good means for visualization of information of any kind. The program features powerful graphic possibilities. Thus, on the ready graphic kernel ConceptDraw the rest products of the line have been developed: ConceptDraw PROJECT , ConceptDraw MINDMAP . This powerful graphic kernel (2D-graphics) is supported by a number of open formats (including XML). To this add the flexibility of data processing, connected with the scripting language ConceptDraw Basic (included in version V), and also the flexibility in parameterization of objects, which is provided by the whole table of the object parameters (which is available for editing even from the program's interface). So in the end it becomes clear that visualizing of information in ConceptDraw is a good idea. So, the typical task for ConceptDraw Basic is to automate the visualization of some data. This data can be obtained as the result of work of an arbitrary application (including ConceptDraw-script) and saved in a text file, ODBC-compatible database or in one of the open formats supported by ConceptDraw. In the first two cases, data will further be read and visualized with the help of ConceptDraw Basic. In case of using a ConceptDraw open format (XML for ConceptDraw or XML for Visio) the obtained document can be simply opened in ConceptDraw, you can then add some details of design and get a presentable diagram. Possibilities of ConceptDraw Basic considerably increase at using in script the functions exported by the shared libraries. The conclusion is: ConceptDraw is a platform worth considering for writing solutions, connected with data visualization. Work with databases |
Special attention has been given to work with databases. There are libraries for designing databases in various notations: ORM, Chen ERD and Martin ERD, Express-G and relational diagrams. Starting from version V, ConceptDraw supports ODBC-compatible databases. Interaction with them is possible with the help of the scripting language ConceptDraw Basic. Besides, in ConceptDraw Professional package there is Database Model Diagram wizard (it can be found among the templates of the section ERD & Database). It builds a model of an arbitrary presented by the user in the form of DSN database.
Having applied all said above about possibilities of ConceptDraw in fields of projection, automation and visualization of data, we can conclude, that the program is well designed for solving the following tasks:
- design of databases
- ORM-diagrams
- ER-diagrams
- relational diagrams
- reengineering of databases
- visual displaying of data in the form of charts and diagrams
Additional materials
For more details on various applications of ConceptDraw for solution developers read the articles:
- Internet solutions on the basis ConceptDraw
- Visualization of databases with the help of ConceptDraw
- Visualization of networks with the help of ConceptDraw
TEN RELATED HOW TO's:
Electrical Symbols, Electrical Diagram Symbols →
Electrical Engineering Solution used together with ConceptDraw DIAGRAM drawing facilities makes short a work of drawing various electrical and electronic circuit schemes. A library of vector objects composed from symbols of Analog and Digital Logic elements of electric circuit includes 40 symbolic images of logic gates, bistable switches of bi-stable electric current, circuit controllers, amplifiers, regulators, generators, etc. All of them can be applied in electronic circuit schemes for showing both analog and digital elements of the circuit. Electrical Engineering Solution used together with ConceptDraw DIAGRAM drawing facilities makes short a work of drawing various electrical and electronic circuit schemes. A library of vector objects composed from symbols of Analog and Digital Logic elements of electric circuit includes 40 symbolic images of logic gates, bistable switches of bi-stable electric current, circuit controllers, amplifiers, regulators, generators, etc. All of them can be applied in electronic circuit schemes for showing both analog and digital elements of the circuit.
Electrical Symbols — Analog and Digital Logic →
Digital electronics or digital (electronic) circuits are electronics that handle digital signals – discrete bands of analog levels – rather than by continuous ranges (as used in analogue electronics). All levels within a band of values represent the same numeric value. Because of this discretization, relatively small changes to the analog signal levels due to manufacturing tolerance, signal attenuation or parasitic noise do not leave the discrete envelope, and as a result are ignored by signal state sensing circuitry. 26 libraries of the Electrical Engineering Solution of ConceptDraw DIAGRAM make your electrical diagramming simple, efficient, and effective. You can simply and quickly drop the ready-to-use objects from libraries into your document to create the electrical diagram.
Types of Flowcharts →
A flowchart is a simple but very functional tool when it comes to understanding a workflow or to removing unnecessary stages from a process. When drawing flowcharts, keep in mind that there are four common types of flowcharts, like document flowcharts and data flowcharts that show control over a data or document flow over a system. To show controls on a physical level, use system flowcharts. In addition, to show controls in a program, you can draw a program flowchart. This flowchart diagram represents the piece of an article editing process, that involves the author and editor. It was created using the Basic Flowchart notation that consists from the basic flowchart symbols. The start and the end of the process are indicated with "Terminator" symbols. The "Process" symbols show the action steps consisting from making edits and searching for a compromise, when the author does not agree with the suggestions of the editor. The "Process" symbol is the general symbol in process flowcharts. The "Decision" symbol indicates a branching in the process flow. There are two branches indicated by a Decision shape in the current flowchart (Yes/No, Disagree/Agree). This basic flowchart can be used as a repeating unit in the workflow diagram describing the working process of some editorial office.
UML Class Diagram Example for GoodsTransportation System →
Class Diagram for Goods Transport System in UML. This sample was created in ConceptDraw DIAGRAM diagramming and vector drawing software using the UML Class Diagram library of the Rapid UML Solution from the Software Development area of ConceptDraw Solution Park. This sample shows the concept of working of the transport company and is used by transport companies, carriers at the transportation of various goods.
Electrical Symbols — Lamps, Acoustics, Readouts →
Wiring and circuit diagrams use special symbols recognized by everyone who uses the drawings. The symbols on the drawings show how components like resistors, capacitors, inductors, switches, lamps, acoustic devices, measuring devices and other electrical and electronic components are connected together. 26 libraries of the Electrical Engineering Solution of ConceptDraw DIAGRAM make your electrical diagramming simple, efficient, and effective. You can simply and quickly drop the ready-to-use objects from libraries into your document to create the electrical diagram.
What is Entity-Relationship Diagram →
Entity Relationship Diagram (ERD) is an acknowledged method to visualize the logical structure of databases. Using special symbols described in ERD notations you can depict a database of any complexity. The vector graphic ER diagrams produced when using ConceptDraw ERD solution can be used in whitepapers, presentations, datasheets, posters, or any technical materials.
Constellation Chart →
ConceptDraw DIAGRAM diagramming and vector drawing software provides the Astronomy solution from the Science and Education area. This solution offers you all needed tools for drawing the constellation chart of any complexity without difficulties. Astronomy solution contains 4 libraries with vector objects of all variety of constellations: Constellations Except Zodiac Northern and Southern, Northern Constellations, Southern Constellations and Zodiac Constellations.