Agile methods are the most effective in enhancing the quality of External System Design (ESD) compared to Unified Modelling Language (UML) or case documentation. Agile methods have extreme programming (XP) characteristics that allow for meeting the structural specifications for external system design. Some of these include that they focus on the primary goal and the production code. Even though documentation is disregarded, coding standards are usually enforced to document the code well. Agile methods also allow for automated tests at all levels, which provides for consistency, completeness, and unambiguity, which is a vital criterion for ESD. According to Rumpe (2004), practical experience reveals that when the tests are correctly done, the defect rate is minimal, while automation allows for continuous repeat tests thereby minimizing the likelihood of design errors. Also, iterations with continuous integration are usually enforced, making the system to be as simple as possible (Rumpe, 2004).
Simplicity is a criterion for the ESD, which allows for easy understanding by user representatives, programmers, as well as other developers (Santos, Cunha, Moura, & Margaria, 2017). This is an aspect that is not realized when using UML. Besides, this also allows for better communication between the project stakeholders as the data flow diagrams (DFDs) used are simple, which fosters teamwork. The graphics used in DFDs also simplify agile methods further as coding text, which is usually difficult for non-technical people to comprehend, can be simplified using pictures, which can reveal component relations easily. Additionally, the continuous tests allow for a reasonable basis for estimating. This allows for incessant enhancement, as well as highlighting relationships to other components. As such, this makes agile methods better in enhancing ESD quality and meeting structured analysis criteria. Therefore, in comparison to UML and case documentation, agile methods are more straightforward as UML makes it difficult for non-technical people to understand the components.
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References
Rumpe, B. (2004). Agile modeling with the UML. In Radical Innovations of Software and Systems Engineering in the Future (pp. 297-309). Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer.
Santos, W. B., Cunha, J. A. O., Moura, H., & Margaria, T. (2017, September). Practical implications from a preliminary theory of simplicity in agile software development based on a qualitative study. In Computer Conference (CLEI), 2017 XLIII Latin American (pp. 1-10). IEEE.
