Rules are statements that define or constrain some aspect of the enterprise. The Systems Rules Model focuses on constraints imposed on business processes or systems functionality due to some aspect of systems design or implementation. You can specify what each system function does with data.
Minispecs are used to define system function (process) symbols on data flow diagrams, and sometimes module symbols on structure charts.
Minispecs, which reside in the data dictionary, are free‑form text and have two features that define them: significant words or key verbs. When you use these features, you can generate a report that indicates any inconsistencies in the data flowing in and out of a process.
To define a minispec for a system function (process)
1 Double-click the system function (process) symbol.
2 In the system function definition dialog box, in the Minispec field, type a description using structured English to specify what the system function does. In the structured English, you can specify the pieces of data that are acted on.
Note In the System Architect repository, you can specify data elements and data structures. A data element is the smallest piece of data that is captured in the underlying data dictionary. A data structure is a grouping of data elements. For example, you could create data elements such as Street Address, City, State, and Zip Code, and group them in a data structure called Address. For more information, see the topics on minispecs in the help.
3 Click OK.
Example
The following text shows an example of a minispec entry:
If ISBN number brand new, Create "ISBN MASTER LIST" Else Update "Borrower Request"
Next
Now you can specify the data elements and data structures that flow between system functions in the definition of each data flow line.