Serena Software is offering <A HREF="http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,2212854,00.asp?kc=EWKNLEDP110807D">a new free visual design tool</A> to help developers better understand user requirements before they begin coding. Serena's Prototype Composer, announced on Nov. 5, is a requirements visualization tool that enables business analysts to simulate how applications will look and function before developers begin to write code. The tool is free and can be downloaded from the company's Web site.

Officials at Serena said users interact with the prototype as if it were the delivered application, confirming requirements with business analysts in real time.