Basic Structured Documentation to the Corps of Engineers National Dam InventoryData Update Program Based on the E-R Diagram and Structure Chart

摘要

The Corps of Engineers National Dam Inventory Data Update Program (NDI) is adatabase program developed through the Computer Applications in Geotechnical Engineering Program. The NDI is used to store and retrieve a variety of information pertaining to dams in which the Corps of Engineers has an interest. This report describes the purpose of the NDI and proposes a restructuring for the NDJ to provide greater efficiency and ease of maintenance. Two basic too's for program development are described: the Entity-relationship (E-R) Diagram and the Structure Chart Examples of the use of the E-R Diagram and the Structure Chart are presented in the report and examples using modules from the NDI illustrate their use in program development. The report provides a structured documentation and describes some improvements to the NDI based on the use of these tools. A life cycle for structured program development, including maintenance, is suggested and comparisons between the original and restructured versions of the NDJ are presented. The proposed modifications allow programmers to quickly grasp the structure of the NDI and initiate improvements or modifications as necessary. Other advantages of the proposed modifications include faster operation and easier maintenance.