Integrating approaches to the construction of software engineering environments

This paper examples two different approaches to the construction of software engineering environments, based on RDBMS and meta-CASE technologies. The paper focuses on the provision of CASE tools and repositories to support an object-based, graphical design method and notation. Prototype CASE tools have been constructed for this method using both RDBMS and meta-CASE technologies. These prototype tools, and their respective development approaches, are described and evaluated. Drawing on the experience gained from these prototypes, an integrative approach to CASE tool construction, combining aspects of both technologies, is proposed.