Annaliza E. Nebres

OOC

Book 7

Book: Systems Analysis and Design

Author: Kendall and Kendall

Reference no.: QA 76.9 S88 K45 1995

Quotation (chapter 11)

“It is important to be able to recognize logic and structured decisions that occur in business and how they are distinguishable from semi-structured decisions.  Then it is recognizable that structured decisions lend themselves particularly well to analysis with systematic methods that promote completeness, accuracy and communication”

Describing Processes Specifications and

Structured Decisions

There are some techniques you can use that involve formulas. When structured decisions are not complex you can use Structured English that’s based on structured logic or organized into nested and grouped procedures and simple English statements such as add, multiply, move and so on.  If using the convention of IF-THEN-ELSE statements and they are in proper sequence this Structured English is simple but it can be more complex if blocks instructions are nested with other blocks of instructions. In doing Structured English there are some guidelines that you can follow.

Second method is the Decision Tables. It composed of rows and columns separated into four quadrants. The upper left contains conditions and the right quadrant contains alternatives. There are also guidelines that you may follow. The analyst needs to determine the maximum size of the table and simplify the table as much as possible.

Third method is the Decision Tress that is used when complex branching occurs in structured decisions in a particular sequence. It derives its name from the natural trees, which have roots and branches. It is also useful in distinguishing between conditions and actions. This is relevant when conditions and actions takes place over a period of time and their sequence is important. The actions represent by a square and the condition by a circle. In using this decision tress it became more readable. The condition may also stands for IF while the actions stands for THEN. This simple tree is symmetrical and the four actions at the end are unique.