This chapter describes the Sphere CASE application manufacturing process. The Sphere Modeler (Model Interpreter) and Sphere Portal universal client (Metalogic Interpreter) are considered the key nodes in this framework (Fig.4).

Fig.4. Sphere CASE application manufacturing process

There are system analyst, designer and coder taking part in the process. Starting with software specification and aided with model editor the system analyst performs task modeling using PCSS and modeling experience producing finally the model library. The model library is then passed to Sphere Modeler producing metalogic unit and script for creating database logical scheme. It is possible in this way to deliver an operational prototype of the system right after modeling completion.

Next stage involves testing of application-specific functionality coordinated with customer if necessary. Basing on the results of this stage the need for model tuning is assessed and, if necessary, appropriate changes are introduced to the model by system analyst. If there is a need for finer metalogic unit tuning identified designer modifies the metalogic unit aided with metalogic editor manipulating the underlying PPSS through the Sphere Portal .

In case additional insignificant changes to functionality are still necessary coder performs plain code tuning aided with conventional programming tools. This usually involves custom server-side stored procedures design with the tools of DBMS assessed and / or scripting the object model of Sphere Portal using any available scripting language like VB Script, Jscript, etc. The final step in the manufacturing is another round of functional testing.

Important is the fact that it is possible to assess different "local" versions of the system for any of the persons involved providing for independent expertise at each stage of the manufacturing process.

Sphere CASE prospects

The Team has been constantly improving the Sphere CASE technology aiming at making it commercially available as a stand-alone toolset for corporate information systems rapid design and maintenance (update, extension, etc.) during the system complete lifecycle. The product would represent a specialized embedded CASE toolset for implementation of MRP, MRPII, ERP and CRM -class corporate information systems featuring "client - server" architecture.

Special attention is paid to standardizing the program interfaces of Sphere Modeler and Sphere Portal to ensure compatibility with other third-party software development platforms. Graphical interfaces for models editor basing on UML, ERD notations are currently under construction. So are XML notation -based principles of metalogic presentation addressing state of the art industrial and commercial data presentation standards (STEP, PDM). Successfully implemented these principles would allow for clear toolset positioning relatively to other products of a kind and for making it claimed by other corporate information systems vendors.

Another important direction in Sphere CASE refining process is development of new versions of Sphere Modeler and Sphere Portal to ensure incorporation of newly developed PCSS and PPSS functionalities. Sphere Modeler capabilities are expanded in a sense of incorporating new business logic models, Sphere Portal capabilities incorporate new basic data manipulation methods (display, DBMS interaction, caching, network and computational resources distribution, etc.). Furthermore, possibility to use different PCSSs for Sphere Modeler and different PPSSs for Sphere Portal is considered as well as possibility to use PCSSs and PPSSs from other vendors.