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Structured analysis is a set of techniques used in software development to explain the required steps within an application in a more humanistic way. It is divided into four domains: data flows, data models, tree graphs, and state models. Data flow diagrams, data models, structure charts, and state models are key tools used in structured analysis.
The term structured analysis, in the context of software development, describes the set of techniques used in the design of computer applications. These techniques help explain the required steps within a computer application in a more humanistic way. The results of a thorough structured analysis and design approach typically describe both the physical and logical layers of the computer application.
Software engineering is a complex process that requires intricate detailing of the specifications on how the software application will work. The early pioneers of software engineering realized that this complexity required a method of formality that not only documented the system but also explained the process in terms that the general public could understand. Structured analysis is the process used to document this complexity.
Structured analysis and design is divided into four main domains within the application architecture. These are data flows, data models, tree graphs and state models. All these domains are typically represented in a manner starting from a level of synthesis and proceeding to a level of detail of interpretation.
One of the key tools used in structured analysis for this visualization approach are data flow diagrams. Data flow diagrams were first introduced as a way to capture the flow of data within an application, explaining how that data moves from one process to another. Each process is connected via a line with an arrow, which represents the data flow between processes.
Data models represent the relationships between data within an application in a logical way. These templates further clarify the data needed to complete the processes defined in the data flow diagrams. There are many tools and techniques used for data modeling, but the main goal is to define data usage and the relationships between one data item and another.
Structure charts are used to define the flow of summary structure from one process to another. These graphs are used as a model of how an application will communicate between processes or modules. Structure graphics follow a functional decomposition approach, staring at a high-level design and decomposing into a detail design.
The final component needed in structured analysis is state models. They define the state or behavior of an application. These templates are merged with data flow templates to define the events of an application.
