CFCSEIC NEWS BRIEFS, W/E JAN. 30, 1998

CFCSEIC NEWS BRIEFS, W/E JAN. 30, 1998

[CSEIC]

Center for Computer Systems Engineering News Briefs
Week Ending:  January 30, 1998

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CONTENTS:
NEW MATERIALS ON THE CFCSEIC WEB SITE
Y2K SPECIAL REPORT IN COMPUTERWORLD
YEAR 2000 TEST TOOLS
SIMPLIFYING INTRODUCTORY ADA

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NEW MATERIALS ON THE CFCSEIC WEB SITE
Topic:  Software Engineering

The following items have been added recently to the CFCSEIC Web pages:  
http://sw-eng.falls-church.va.us.

New on the DII COE Web page:

Management Overview Course Materials 
            
http://sw-eng.falls-church.va.us/coe/ed-train/overview/
     
Course materials designed for providing managers and decision makers with 
a "big picture" of the DII COE. Includes a basic introduction and 
overview of program concepts and components. 

***

A new link on the AdaIC Home page:

Mapping Brumbaugh's Object Modeling Technique (OMT) Associations to Ada

http://www.clark.net/pub/dsmith/OO/overview.html
 
A white paper which develops a recommended mapping from OMT associations 
to Ada. The mapping is presented in a constructive fashion, addressing 
issues one at a time, leading up to several templates which illustrate 
the mapping.

SOURCE:  CFCSEIC

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Y2K SPECIAL REPORT IN COMPUTERWORLD
Topic:  Y2K

Computerworld has included a special Year 2000 report in its January 19, 
1998 issue.  The special report covers numerous Y2K issues including:  
preparedness; contingency planning; testing tools; and IT staffing.  

Computerworld may be accessed on the Web at:  http://www.computerworld.com. 

SOURCE:  "Year 2000:  Be Prepared", Computerworld, Jan. 19, 1998, v32 n3, 
pp. 77-97.  http://www.computerworld.com.

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YEAR 2000 TEST TOOLS
Topic:  Y2K

In the January 26, 1998 edition of Government Computer News, Y2K testing 
tools are examined.  It is encouraged to think ahead by choosing test 
tools that may very well pay for themselves down the road.  Choosing a 
testing tool that will remain effective through the various stages of 
testing is very important.  A list of 34 tools is included, offering 
information on:  vendor; product name; platform; notes; and price.   

SOURCE:  John McCormick, "Year 2000 Test Tools", Government Computer 
News, Jan. 26, 1998, v17, n2, pp. 47-50.

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SIMPLIFYING INTRODUCTORY ADA
Topic:  Ada

Richard Riehle discusses his experiences with teaching Ada in the 
February 1998 issue of The Journal of Object Oriented Programming (JOOP), 
and offers some ideas about how to simplify the teaching process of Ada.  
Abstraction is at the core of Riehle's methods for simplification.  He 
writes that it is important to present the proper abstraction to the 
intended audience.  What may be an acceptable abstraction for an engineer 
may not be adequate for a programmer and vice versa.  It is vital to know 
your audience.

SOURCE:  Richard Riehle, "Simplifying Introductory Ada", JOOP, Feb. 1998, 
v10, n9, pp. 16-18.

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