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Lecture 1 Basic Software Engineering Concepts

This document provides an overview of basic software engineering concepts. It defines software as computer programs, data structures, and documentation. It also discusses that software is engineered, not manufactured. The document then covers different types of software applications and categories of emerging software. It concludes by defining software engineering as the application of systematic and disciplined practices to the development, operation, and maintenance of software.

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55 views

Lecture 1 Basic Software Engineering Concepts

This document provides an overview of basic software engineering concepts. It defines software as computer programs, data structures, and documentation. It also discusses that software is engineered, not manufactured. The document then covers different types of software applications and categories of emerging software. It concludes by defining software engineering as the application of systematic and disciplined practices to the development, operation, and maintenance of software.

Uploaded by

ghazi members
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Lecture 1

◼ Basic Software Engineering Concepts

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What is Software?
Software is: (1) instructions (computer
programs) that when executed provide desired
features, function, and performance; (2) data
structures that enable the programs to
adequately manipulate information and (3)
documentation that describes the operation
and use of the programs.

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What is Software?
◼ Software is developed or engineered, it is
not manufactured in the classical sense.
◼ Software doesn't "wear out."
◼ Although the industry is moving toward
component-based construction, most
software continues to be custom-built.

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Wear vs. Deterioration
Hardware wears out over time

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Wear vs. Deterioration

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Software Applications
◼ system software
◼ application software
◼ engineering/scientific
software
◼ embedded software
◼ product-line software
◼ WebApps (Web
applications)
◼ AI software

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Software—New Categories
◼ Open world computing—pervasive, distributed
computing
◼ Ubiquitous computing—wireless networks
◼ Netsourcing—the Web as a computing engine
◼ Open source—”free” source code open to the
computing community (a blessing, but also a potential
curse!)
◼ Also …
◼ Data mining

◼ Grid computing

◼ Cognitive machines

◼ Software for nanotechnologies

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Legacy Software
Why must it change?
◼ software must be adapted to meet the needs
of new computing environments or
technology.
◼ software must be enhanced to implement new
business requirements.
◼ software must be extended to make it
interoperable with other more modern
systems or databases.
◼ software must be re-architected to make it
viable within a network environment.

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Characteristics of WebApps - I
◼ Network intensiveness. A WebApp resides on a network and
must serve the needs of a diverse community of clients.
◼ Concurrency. A large number of users may access the
WebApp at one time.
◼ Unpredictable load. The number of users of the WebApp may
vary by orders of magnitude from day to day.
◼ Performance. If a WebApp user must wait too long (for
access, for server-side processing, for client-side formatting
and display), he or she may decide to go elsewhere.
◼ Availability. Although expectation of 100 percent availability is
unreasonable, users of popular WebApps often demand
access on a “24/7/365” basis.

10
Characteristics of WebApps - II
◼ Data driven. The primary function of many WebApps is to use
hypermedia to present text, graphics, audio, and video content to
the end-user.
◼ Content sensitive. The quality and aesthetic nature of content
remains an important determinant of the quality of a WebApp.
◼ Continuous evolution. Unlike conventional application software
that evolves over a series of planned, chronologically-spaced
releases, Web applications evolve continuously.
◼ Immediacy. Although immediacy—the compelling need to get
software to market quickly—is a characteristic of many application
domains, WebApps often exhibit a time to market that can be a
matter of a few days or weeks.
◼ Security. Because WebApps are available via network access, it
is difficult, if not impossible, to limit the population of end-users
who may access the application.
◼ Aesthetics. An undeniable part of the appeal of a WebApp is its
look and feel.
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Software Engineering
◼ Some realities:
◼ a concerted effort should be made to understand the
problem before a software solution is developed
◼ design becomes a pivotal activity
◼ software should exhibit high quality
◼ software should be maintainable
◼ The seminal definition:
◼ [Software engineering is] the establishment and use
of sound engineering principles in order to obtain
economically software that is reliable and works
efficiently on real machines.

12
Software Engineering
◼ The IEEE definition:
◼ Software Engineering: (1) The application of a
systematic, disciplined, quantifiable approach to the
development, operation, and maintenance of
software; that is, the application of engineering to
software. (2) The study of approaches as in (1).

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A Layered Technology

tools

methods

process model

a “quality” focus

Software Engineering

14

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