CHAPTER 1: AN INTRODUCTION TO SOFTWARE ENGINEERING

Objectives
● To introduce software engineering and to explain its importance

● To set out the answers to key questions about software engineering

● To introduce ethical and professional issues and to explain why they are of

concern to software engineers

FAQs about software engineering

■ What is software?

■ What is software engineering?

■ What is a software process?

■ What is a software process model?

■ What are the costs of software engineering?

■ What are software engineering methods?

■ What is CASE (Computer-Aided Software Engineering)

■ What are the attributes of good software?

■ What are the key challenges facing software engineering?

WHAT IS SOFTWARE?
Computer programs and associated documentation such as requirements, design models
and user manuals.
Software products may be developed for a particular customer or may be developed for a
general market.

Software products may be

■ Generic - developed to be sold to a range of different customers e.g. PC

software such as Excel or Word.

Advantages of Generic
 ● Relatively cheaper than bespoke

● Updates are readily available

● More error free

● Readily available

Disadvantages of Generic

● Personal needs are not met

● Not possible to add content

■ Bespoke (custom) - developed for a single customer according to their

specification.
New software can be created by developing new programs, configuring generic
software systems or reusing existing software.
Advantages of Tailor Made software

● Personal needs are met

● Ideas of the user are incorporated

Disadvantages of Tailor made

● Prone to errors

● Not readily available

● Updates are not readily available

 ● Very expensive

WHAT IS SOFTWARE ENGINEERING?

Engineering on the other hand, is all about developing products, using well-defined,
scientific principles and methods.
So, we can define software engineering as an engineering branch associated with the
development of software product using well-defined scientific principles, methods and
procedures. The outcome of software engineering is an efficient and reliable software
product.
NB. IEEE defines software engineering as:
The application of a systematic, disciplined, quantifiable approach to the development,
operation and maintenance of software.

Software engineering is an engineering discipline that is concerned with all aspects of

software production.
Software engineers should adopt a systematic and organised approach to their work and
use appropriate tools and techniques depending on the problem to be solved, the
development constraints and the resources available

NEED OF SOFTWARE ENGINEERING

The need of software engineering arises because of higher rate of change in user
requirements and environment on which the software is working.
 Large software - It is easier to build a wall than to a house or building, likewise, as
the size of software become large engineering has to step to give it a scientific process.

 Scalability- If the software process were not based on scientific and engineering
concepts, it would be easier to re-create new software than to scale an existing one.
 Cost- As hardware industry has shown its skills and huge manufacturing has lower
down the price of computer and electronic hardware. But the cost of software remains
high if proper process is not adapted.

 Dynamic Nature- The always growing and adapting nature of software hugely
depends upon the environment in which the user works. If the nature of software is
always changing, new enhancements need to be done in the existing one. This is where
software engineering plays a good role.

 Quality Management- Better process of software development provides better and

quality software product.

What is a software process?

■ A set of activities whose goal is the development or evolution of software.

■ Generic activities in all software processes are:

■ Specification - what the system should do and its development constraints

■ Development - production of the software system

■ Validation - checking that the software is what the customer wants

■ Evolution - changing the software in response to changing demands.

What is a software process model?

■ A simplified representation of a software process, presented from a specific

perspective.s

■ Examples of process perspectives are

 ■ Workflow perspective - sequence of activities;

■ Data-flow perspective - information flow;

■ Role/action perspective - who does what.

■ Generic process models

■ Waterfall;

■ Iterative development;

■ Component-based software engineering.

What are the costs of software engineering?

■ Roughly 60% of costs are development costs, 40% are testing costs. For custom

software, evolution costs often exceed development costs.

■ Costs vary depending on the type of system being developed and the requirements

of system attributes such as performance and system reliability.

■ Distribution of costs depends on the development model that is used.

What are software engineering methods?

■ Structured approaches to software development which include system models,

notations, rules, design advice and process guidance.

■ Model descriptions

■ Descriptions of graphical models which should be produced;

■ Rules
 ■ Constraints applied to system models;

■ Recommendations

■ Advice on good design practice;

■ Process guidance

■ What activities to follow.

What is CASE (Computer-Aided Software Engineering?)

Software systems that are intended to provide automated support for software process
activities.
CASE systems are often used for method support and they are divided into three

● Upper Case Toolsikki - Upper CASE tools are used in planning, analysis and
design stages of SDLC. E.g Microsoft visual, draw.io, lucid software,

● Lower Case Tools - Lower CASE tools are used in implementation, testing and
maintenance.

● Integrated Case Tools - Integrated CASE tools are helpful in all the stages of
SDLC, from Requirement gathering to Testing and documentation.

What are the attributes of good software?

software product can be judged by what it offers and how well it can be used. This
software must satisfy on the following grounds:

 Operational
 Transitional
 Maintenance
Well-engineered and crafted software is expected to have the following characteristics:

Operational
This tells us how well software works in operations. It can be measured on:
 Budget
 Usability
 Efficiency
 Correctness
 Functionality
 Dependability
 Security
 Safety

Transitional
This aspect is important when the software is moved from one platform to another:
 Portability
 Interoperability
 Reusability
 Adaptability

Maintenance
This aspect briefs about how well a software has the capabilities to maintain itself in the
ever-changing environment:
 Modularity
 Maintainability
 Flexibility
 Scalability

In short, Software engineering is a branch of computer science, which uses well-defined

engineering concepts required to produce efficient, durable, scalable, in-budget and on-
time software products
To achieve this:
● Involve users in software production

● Use or prototypes

● Train users

● User manuals/ Help manuals

What are the key challenges facing software engineering?

■ Heterogeneity, delivery and trust.

■ Heterogeneity

■ Developing techniques for building software that can cope with

heterogeneous platforms and execution environments;
■ Delivery

■ Developing techniques that lead to faster delivery of software;

■ Trust

■ Developing techniques that demonstrate that software can be trusted by its

users.

Professional and ethical responsibility

■ Software engineering involves wider responsibilities than simply the application
of technical skills.
■ Software engineers must behave in an honest and ethically responsible way if they
are to be respected as professionals.
■ Ethical behaviour is more than simply upholding the law.

Issues of professional responsibility

■ Confidentiality

■ Engineers should normally respect the confidentiality of their employers

or clients irrespective of whether or not a formal confidentiality agreement
has been signed.
■ Competence

■ Engineers should not misrepresent their level of competence. They should

not knowingly accept work which is outwith their competence.
■ Intellectual property rights

■ Engineers should be aware of local laws governing the use of intellectual

property such as patents, copyright, etc. They should be careful to ensure
that the intellectual property of employers and clients is protected.
■ Computer misuse

■ Software engineers should not use their technical skills to misuse other
people’s computers. Computer misuse ranges from relatively trivial (game
playing on an employer’s machine, say) to extremely serious
(dissemination of viruses).