Introducing the Visual Designers—Introducing the System Definition Model

Microsoft .NET Framework, ASP.NET, Visual C# (CSharp, C Sharp, C-Sharp) Developer Training, Visual Studio

Introducing the System Definition Model

It’s doubtful whether anyone would attempt to design an application these days without the aid of a modeling tool, using nothing but pencil and paper. That would be like writing this chapter using a typewriter, rather than Microsoft Word! Not so bad if you get it all right the first time, but almost impossible to rework in the light of new ideas or mistakes.

But all you need for visual design is a good drawing package, right? One that will let you redraw as many times as you like? No, because a good modeling tool is more than just a drawing package—it actually understands the design you’re creating. For example, if you draw a line between a shape representing a web application and a shape representing a Web service, the tool will be able to deduce the following:

• These shapes represent a web application and a Web service, respectively.
  
• The web application references the web service, and communicates with it in some way.

This understanding of your design enables a modeling tool to add value to the Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) by automating the validation of your design, the generation of code, the deployment of applications, and the production of documentation. To put it another way, the modeling tool must understand your design in order to make model-driven development and Software Factories a reality.