CRUISE-creative user interface for software engineering: an overview

A description is presented of CRUISE, the graphic user interface of OBSERV. OBSERV is a methodology that allows a rapid construction of an executable specification (or prototype) to support testing of the prototype by simulation, to facilitate smooth transition to a target system, and to provide means for reusing specification, design and code. CRUISE provides OBSERV with graphic editing capabilities that replace the existing text editor. While developing CRUISE, emphasis was placed on two distinct, yet interrelated, sets of goals. One is to develop a `good´ user-interface, whereas the other conforms to the basic concept of OBSERV-the underlying methodology. The objective set for CRUISE are outlined, and structure presented along with implementation details; future trends are discussed