Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
level of each element, one might coin the term “lefttoright method
ology” for the outline process, but such terminology is not in com
mon usage.) The identification of subtopics within one problem or
subproblem is called a
decomposition
of the problem or solution,
and the process of developing the elements that belong under a
heading is called
refinement
.
In practice, people have considerable trouble dealing with com
plexity; at some point there can be more items to think about than
people can handle. A topdown approach is a very effective mecha
nism for dealing with this human trait. Once a problem is subdi
vided, we can focus on smaller and more manageable parts without
thinking constantly about all of the pieces at once. In the develop
ment of software, dividing large projects into smaller subprojects al
lows the assignment of different people to separate tasks. Each per
son can work on one part of the software. If the pieces have been
appropriately specified within a larger framework, then they will fit
together to yield an overall software package that addresses the to
tal need of the client or customer.
computers can't solve?
Salespeople sometimes tout the advantages of one machine over
another, citing special capabilities or outstanding features. (Return
to Chapter 5 for more on computers and advertising.) And, from a
superficial viewpoint, some of these claims are obviously true. A
new computer likely comes with a builtin plug for connection to a
network or the Internet, whereas a previous version may have re
quired a separate addon to make such a connection. One computer
may have both a CD player and a separate disk drive, whereas an
other computer has only the CD player and thus cannot read disks
directly. Old computers usually had blackandwhite monitors,
whereas most new machines have color screens. Such examples in
dicate that some computers have more or better “stuff” attached
than other computers. Depending on your needs, some of this pe
ripheral equipment may be important or particularly convenient.
However, in reviewing these examples, it is important to note
that the differences involve peripheral devices—not the central CPU
or the main structure of a computer. Most personal computers pro
duced today have a common structure, although they may vary in
