What is the Difference Between Design Classes and Analysis classes?

In System Design, understanding the difference between design classes and analysis classes is crucial. Analysis classes are like detectives they investigate and understand the problem at hand. They focus on what the system needs to do, without diving into how it will be done. These classes help developers grasp the requirements and goals of the software. While the design classes are like architects they take the findings from analysis classes and create a plan for how the software will work.

What are Design Classes?

In system design, design classes refer to the blueprint or structure of how a software system will be constructed. These classes outline the organization and behavior of various components within the system. Design classes delve into the specifics of how the system will operate, focusing on factors like efficiency, scalability, and maintainability.

• Design classes encapsulate the implementation details, such as methods, attributes, and relationships between different parts of the system.
• They define the internal workings of the software, including algorithms, data structures, and interactions between modules.
• Design classes build upon the findings from analysis classes, which identify the requirements and goals of the system without diving into implementation details.
• Design classes translate these requirements into a concrete plan for how the system will be built.

Overall, design classes play a crucial role in system design by providing a structured framework for developers to follow during the implementation phase.

Characteristics of Design Classes

• Focus on specifying how the system will be built and operated.
• Concrete representation detailing methods, attributes, and interactions.
• Incorporate implementation details, such as algorithms and data structures.
• Translate requirements into a structured plan for development.
• Typically depicted through class diagrams, sequence diagrams, or design patterns.

Usage of Design Classes

• Follow analysis classes to translate requirements into a detailed design.
• Specify the internal structure and behavior of software components.
• Address concerns related to efficiency, reusability, and maintainability.
• Serve as a blueprint for coding and implementation.
• Used to create class diagrams, sequence diagrams, and design documentation for developers.

What are Analysis Classes?

In system design, analysis classes are the initial step in understanding the problem domain and requirements of the software system. They focus on identifying and defining the key entities, attributes, and relationships within the system without delving into implementation details.

• Analysis classes serve as the investigators or detectives of the system design process.
• They gather information about what the system needs to accomplish, who will use it, and what data it will handle.
• This involves studying user needs, business processes, and any external systems the software will interact with.
• Analysis classes help developers gain a clear understanding of the problem domain and the goals of the software.

Overall, analysis classes are essential for ensuring that the software solution aligns with the needs of its users and stakeholders.

Characteristics Analysis Classes

• Focus on understanding the problem domain and requirements.
• Abstract representation of entities, attributes, and relationships.
• High-level view without delving into implementation details.
• Identify user needs, business processes, and external system interactions.
• Typically depicted through domain models, use cases, or user stories.

Usage Analysis Classes

• Serve as the initial step in system design to gather and analyze requirements.
• Facilitate communication between stakeholders to ensure a shared understanding of the system.
• Provide a foundation for further design and development phases.
• Help identify key functionalities and constraints of the system.
• Used to create user stories, use cases, and domain models to capture requirements.

Relationship between Design and Analysis Classes

1. Dependency Relation

• Design classes build upon the findings of analysis classes.
• Analysis classes provide the foundation and requirements for the design phase.
• Without a clear understanding of the problem domain and requirements established by analysis classes, it’s challenging to create effective design classes.
• Analysis classes focus on identifying what the system needs to do and its essential components.
• Design classes then specify how those requirements will be implemented, detailing the structure, behavior, and interactions of the system’s components.

2. Iteration Relation

• The relationship between analysis and design classes is often iterative.
• As design classes are developed, they may uncover additional requirements or constraints that were not initially identified during the analysis phase.
• Feedback from the design phase may lead to revisions or refinements in the analysis classes to ensure alignment with the evolving understanding of the system.

The Transition from Analysis to Design Classes

Step 1. From Analysis to Design

• The transition from analysis to design classes involves translating the requirements identified in analysis classes into a structured plan for implementation.
• Analysis classes provide the inputs for designing the system architecture, specifying the components, relationships, and behaviors needed to fulfill the requirements.

Step 2. Creation of Design Classes

• Once the requirements are understood, design classes are created to represent the internal structure and behavior of the software system.
• Design classes incorporate implementation details, such as algorithms, data structures, and system interactions, to fulfill the specified requirements.

Step 3. Refinement and Iteration

• Throughout the transition from analysis to design classes, there may be iterations and refinements based on feedback, new insights, or changes in requirements.
• Design classes may influence updates to analysis classes as new design considerations or constraints are identified.

Real-World Examples of Analysis and Design Classes

1. Analysis Classes

• E-commerce System:
  • Use Case: Identify analysis classes such as “Customer,” “Product,” “Order,” and “Payment” to understand the entities and relationships involved in an e-commerce system.
  • Purpose: Analyze user requirements and business processes to determine what functionalities the system should support and how they interact.
  • Example: The “Customer” class may have attributes like name, email, and address, while the “Order” class may have attributes like order ID, items, and total price.
• Hospital Management System:
  • Use Case: Define analysis classes like “Patient,” “Doctor,” “Appointment,” and “Medical Record” to capture the key entities and relationships in a hospital management system.
  • Purpose: Analyze the workflow of patients, doctors, and administrative staff to identify requirements for scheduling appointments, managing medical records, and coordinating patient care.
  • Example: The “Appointment” class may include attributes such as date, time, doctor ID, and patient ID, reflecting the scheduling process.

2. Design Classes

• E-commerce System:
  • Use Case: Translate analysis classes into design classes to specify how the system will be implemented.
  • Purpose: Define the internal structure and behavior of software components to fulfill the requirements identified during analysis.
  • Example: Design classes may include “CustomerManager,” “ProductCatalog,” “OrderProcessor,” and “PaymentGateway,” each responsible for specific functionalities and interactions within the system.
• Hospital Management System:
  • Use Case: Develop design classes like “AppointmentScheduler,” “PatientRecordManager,” “DoctorRegistry,” and “BillingSystem” to detail the implementation of system components.
  • Purpose: Specify algorithms, data structures, and interfaces to support the functionalities required by the hospital management system.
  • Example: The “AppointmentScheduler” class may include methods for scheduling, canceling, and rescheduling appointments, with algorithms to optimize appointment slots and avoid conflicts.

Difference between Design classes and Analysis classes

This table illustrates the key differences between analysis classes and design classes:

Aspect	Analysis Classes	Design Classes
Purpose	Identify requirements and understand problem domain	Define how the system will be built and operated
Focus	What the system needs to do (functional requirements)	How the system will accomplish its tasks (implementation details)
Level of Detail	High-level, focusing on entities, attributes, and relationships	Detailed, specifying methods, attributes, and interactions
Implementation	No implementation details, abstract representation	Implementation details specified, concrete representation
Dependencies	Depends on user needs, business processes, and external systems	Builds upon analysis classes, translating requirements into a structured plan
Deliverables	Use cases, user stories, domain models	Class diagrams, sequence diagrams, design patterns
Timing	Early stage of system development, before design	Follows analysis, comes before implementation
Flexibility	More flexible and subject to change during analysis phase	Less flexible, changes may require more effort during design phase