The Concepts Behind A Systemateque

The paper introduces the word 'Systemateque' as a general term for a database similar to a data dictionary, but with a much more general scope. While a data dictionary is a database for support of the design and maintenance of data processing systems, a systemateque is the database of a more advanced and general CASE tool supporting all kinds of systems analysis and systems design activities. A traditional way to establish computerized support of such activities is to extend a data dictionary system in an ad-hoc manner, for example by utilizing a common facility to record user-specific matters. Often this can be done in a rather liberal way, but also with limited support from the system, because • basically it is constructed for another purpose. As a consequence, the focus will continue to be at the data processing system instead of on the environment the business system. The paper, therefore, approaches the problem the other way round: A study on the so-called "conceptual level" is performed of the concepts relevant for a systemeer performing business system analysis and design of changes to possible sub-systems within a business system. The concepts are related to those behind the popular "Structured Analysis" approach and to the traditional data dictionary concepts exposing a data dictionary as only a narrow and special example of a systemateque just as a data processing system is only a part of a business system.