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Boxes and Lines

"Documentation is an inherent part of theIT Industry is experiencing the same type of
design  process."  -  Bryce's  Lawproblems today that we experienced 35 years
ago  in  terms of managing design complexity.
INTRODUCTION
BLUEPRINTING
I recently overheard a Business Analyst say
there was more to systems architecture thanIt is a myth that one type of diagramming
drawing boxes and arrows on a piece of paper.technique can be used for all development
This may be true to a degree, but thework. This would be like suggesting to use a
ultimate deliverable of any engineeringwiring diagram to represent a floor plan.
architectural practice is a set of drawingsDifferent needs, different graphics,
from which to build a product. Architectsdifferent purposes. There are actually four
and engineers do not spend all of their timetypes of graphics to be used to the different
drawing diagrams; for example, they have tolevels of system design. This implies a
specify requirements and analyze such thingsblueprinting approach with various levels of
as the stress of components to determine theabstraction, from general to specific. As we
suitability of materials for use in design.have discussed in the past, the
But aside from this, the end result of"PRIDE"-Information Systems Engineering
engineering or architecture, theirMethodology (ISEM) looks at a system as a
deliverable, is a set of drawings, be it aproduct that can be engineered and
blueprint, a floor plan, wiring diagram,manufactured like any other product and, as
plumbing,  or  a  set  of  flowcharts.such, defines four levels of detail in a
system's  hierarchy:
Such drawings basically consist of boxes and
arrows. Boxes (be it squares, rectangles,LEVEL  1  SYSTEM
polygons, circles, etc.) represent tangible
objects and lines represent relationshipsLEVEL  2  SUB-SYSTEMS  (Business  Processes)
between such objects. Flowcharts are
similar; here, boxes represent specific typesLEVEL 3 PROCEDURES (Administrative and
of processes or decisions or objects such asComputer)
inputs/outputs/files, and lines represent
dependencies between them (comes from/goesLEVEL 4 PROGRAMS (for Computer Procedures)
to).OPERATIONS  (for  Administrative  Procedures)
Although drawings typically consist ofFour different levels, four different
geometric shapes, it is not uncommon tographics  used:
include tables or indices to represent
decisions or to provide a cross-reference.LEVEL 1 SYSTEM CONCEPT DIAGRAM - represents a
Nonetheless, boxes and lines represent thefreeform architectural rendering of the
principal means to visualize and communicateoverall  system.
a design regardless of the structure to be
built, and have been used since timeLEVEL 2 SYSTEM FLOWCHART - defines the
immemorial.SUB-SYSTEMS  of  the  System.
In addition to diagramming techniques,LEVEL 3 SUB-SYSTEM FLOWCHART - defines the
engineers and architects have found it usefulPROCEDURES in a Sub-System (aka "Process
to develop models and prototypes to evaluateDiagram").
the overall physical aspects of their design.
These are useful but let us not forget theyLEVEL  4
are all ultimately based on a design of some
kind (boxes and lines). From the models andCOMPUTER PROCEDURE FLOWCHART - defines the
prototypes, designs can be adjusted asPROGRAMS  in  a  Computer  Procedure.
required.
Each level provides the specifications for
I guess what I'm driving at is that despitethe next (this is also known as "stepwise
all of this peripheral activity, and torefinement"). With the exception of the
refute my Business Analyst friend, theSystem Concept Diagram, all of the flowcharts
principal thrust of the engineer or architectmake use of ANSI standard symbols. As to the
is to produce and maintain a reliable set ofinternal processing logic of a program, since
drawings. It all comes down to boxes andthere are many ways to skin a cat, the
lines. Interestingly, today's analysts andsoftware structure diagram du jour is used,
programmers think drawings are "old-hat" orhopefully a standard one. However, a graphic
passé. I don't care whether you draw itmay not be necessary to express the
with pencil and paper or by computer,processing logic of a program. Instead,
documentation is an inherent part of thespecifications may be interpreted by a
design process. Failure to recognize this isprogram generator of some kind. Its a
to  deny  reality."fielder's  choice."
In terms of the Information Systems industry,CONCLUSION
flowcharts have been used for years, well
before the introduction of the commercialUntil such time as we can master the Vulcan
computer in business. Originally they"mind meld," whereby we can transfer
included process diagrams; later they wereknowledge telepathically, there will always
used by programmers as a convenient means tobe a need for documentation. Its an inherent
document program logic. Such flowchartspart of the design process and the principal
typically made use of ANSI standarddeliverable produced by engineers and
flowcharting symbols. But as the Structuredarchitects. Don't  deny  it,  accept  it.
Programming movement flourished in the late
1970's, ANSI symbols were considered archaic,I am definitely not one for excessive
and many new types of diagramming techniquesdocumentation thereby becoming a burdensome
emerged, including Bubble Diagrams, Datatask. Instead, documentation should be a
Structure Diagrams, E/R Diagrams, HIPO, VTOC,natural byproduct of the design process.
etc. (anybody remember Nassi-SchneidermanJust as blueprinting is an inherent part of
Charts?). I could argue the pros and cons ofthe design process to architects and
the various techniques but that is not theengineers, so should flowcharting be to
point. What is important is that all ofsystem developers. And you shouldn't have to
these diagramming techniques acknowledgedbe a rocket scientist to draw a flowchart,
documentation as an inherent part of thekeep it simple and try to use standard
design  process.techniques for consistency instead of
reinventing graphics every five minutes. As
Today, documentation of any kind isfor me, I have no problem with ANSI
considered a taboo (particularly among thestandards; it works.
Agile Methodology people). Small wonder the



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