Extending the Scope of Quality Assurance of CAD Systems: Putting Underlying Engineering Principles, Theories, and Methods on the Spotlight

Abstract

This paper introduces the idea of extending quality assurance efforts in the processes of development of computer aided design (CAD) software systems to include formal review or testing of underlying engineering principles, theories, methods, or physical phenomena. It stems from the principle of disembodiment of CAD software systems and incorporates elements of existing well-established methodologies such as participatory design, extreme programming, and spiral software development. Under this approach, ideas’ generation, theories’ selection or creation, methods’ development, algorithms’ design, and pilot prototype implementation are the intermediate tasks in the early stages of the process of development of CAD software. Theories, methods, algorithms, and pilot prototypes are the deliverables of these tasks. Each task involves stepwise translation of requirements into a respective deliverable. Application experiences have shown that this procedure enlarges the scope of requirements’ acquisition and quality assurance of CAD software.