Code Rocket: Seeking improvements in detailed design support for non-model driven approaches to development

Code Rocket is a support tool for software developers which allows them to perform the detailed design of a software system and produce program code simultaneously. It integrates with existing development environments to allow developers to visualize program code during code construction and code maintenance. Code Rocket supports other project stakeholders, including nonprogrammers, by providing improved visibility of the detailed stages of code development in a way that is quick and easy to assimilate. Code Rocket seeks to bridge the detailed design gap between UML and code in mainstream software development, for projects which do not adopt formal or model-driven approaches. This paper introduces Code Rocket, describes the background and rationale for its development and presents the results of a survey of industry users which suggest that it may offer benefits for improving visibility of business logic within code, assisting comprehension of code, and helping developers to become productive more quickly.