Why Software Engineering?

• Software development is hard !

• Important to distinguish “easy” systems (one
developer, one user, experimental use only) from “hard”
systems (multiple developers, multiple users, products)
• Experience with “easy” systems is misleading
– One person techniques do not scale up
• Analogy with bridge building:
– Over a stream = easy, one person job
– Over River Jhelum … ? (the techniques do not scale)

Software Engineering Methodologies Slide 1

 Why Software Engineering ?

• The problem is complexity

• Many sources, but size is key:
– UNIX contains 4 million lines of code
– Windows 2000 contains 108 lines of code

Software engineering is about managing

this complexity.
Software Engineering Methodologies Slide 2
 Recommended Course Textbooks

• Sommerville I. (2001)
Software Engineering
6th Edition, Addison-Wesley, Harlow,
Essex, UK

• Roger S. Pressman (2000)

Software Engineering:
A Practitioner's Approach,
5th edition, McGraw-Hill, USA
Software Engineering Methodologies Slide 3
 Recommended Course Textbooks

• Project Management
A systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling and
Controlling.(7th Edition)
By Harold Kerzner

Software Engineering Methodologies Slide 4

 Outline Syllabus
1. Introduction to Software Engineering
2. Software Processes & Process Improvement
3. Software Design and Implementation
4. Software verification, validation and testing
5. Quality Assurance
6. Configuration Management
7. Metrics and measurement
8. Requirements Engineering
9. Software Project Management
10. Risk Management
11. WBS Estimation & Scheduling
12. MS Project, Tools – Applications
13. Reengineering
14. Integration & Testing
15. Real Time and Embedded Systems Design
16. Software Engineering in Pakistan Industry

Software Engineering Methodologies Slide 5

 What is software?
• Computer programs and associated documentation

• 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
– Bespoke (custom) - developed for a single customer according
to their specification
Software Engineering Methodologies Slide 6
 What is software engineering?
Software engineering is an engineering discipline
which is concerned with all aspects of software
production
Software engineers should
– adopt a systematic and organised approach to their work
– use appropriate tools and techniques depending on
• the problem to be solved,
• the development constraints and
• the resources available
Software Engineering Methodologies Slide 7
 What is the difference between software
engineering and computer science?

Computer Science Software Engineering

is concerned with

 theory  the practicalities of

developing
 fundamentals  delivering useful software
Computer science theories are currently
insufficient to act as a complete underpinning
for software engineering 
Software Engineering Methodologies Slide 8
 What is the difference between software
engineering and system engineering?

• System engineering is concerned with all aspects

of computer-based systems development including
hardware, software and process engineering

• Software engineering is part of this process

• System engineers are involved in

system specification, architectural design,
integration and deployment
Software Engineering Methodologies Slide 9
 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
Software Engineering Methodologies Slide 10
 What is a software process model?
A simplified representation of a software process, presented
from a specific perspective
• Examples of process perspectives:
Workflow perspective represents inputs, outputs and dependencies
Data-flow perspective represents data transformation activities
Role/action perspective represents the roles/activities of the people
involved in software process
• Generic process models
– Waterfall
– Evolutionary development
– Formal transformation
– Integration from reusable components

Software Engineering Methodologies Slide 11

 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
Software Engineering Methodologies Slide 12
 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)
Software Engineering Methodologies Slide 13
 What is CASE ?
(Computer-Aided Software Engineering)

Software systems which are intended to provide

automated support for software process activities, such
as requirements analysis, system modelling, debugging
and testing
• Upper-CASE
– Tools to support the early process
activities of requirements and design
• Lower-CASE
– Tools to support later activities such as
programming, debugging and testing
Software Engineering Methodologies Slide 14
 What are the attributes of good
software?
The software should deliver the required functionality
and performance to the user and should be
maintainable, dependable and usable
• Maintainability
– Software must evolve to meet changing needs
• Dependability
– Software must be trustworthy
• Efficiency
– Software should not make wasteful use of system resources
• Usability
– Software must be usable by the users for which it was designed
Software Engineering Methodologies Slide 15
 What are the key challenges
facing software engineering?
Software engineering in the 21st century faces
three key challenges:
• Legacy systems
– Old, valuable systems must be maintained and updated
• Heterogeneity
– Systems are distributed and include
a mix of hardware and software
• Delivery
– There is increasing pressure
for faster delivery of software
Software Engineering Methodologies Slide 16
 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

Software Engineering Methodologies Slide 17

 Next lecture

Software Processes

Software Engineering Methodologies Slide 18