Department Of Computer Science

1
 Software Engineering Concepts (CSC291)

Lecture 01

Introduction

Software Engineering Concepts -Spring-2022 Mr. Tehseen Riaz Abbasi

  Topics Covered

• Professional software development

• What is meant by software engineering.
• FAQs about software engineering

• To introduce software engineering and to explain its

importance

• To set out the answers to key questions about software

engineering

Software Engineering Concepts -Spring-2022 Mr. Tehseen Riaz Abbasi

  FAQs on Software Engineering (I)

• What is software?
• What is software engineering?
• What is the difference between software engineering
and computer science?
• What is the difference between software engineering
and system engineering?
• What is a software process?
• What is a software process model?

Software Engineering Concepts -Spring-2022 Mr. Tehseen Riaz Abbasi

  FAQs on Software Engineering (I)

• What are the costs of software engineering?

• What are software engineering methods?
• What are the attributes of good software?
• What are the key challenges facing software engineering?
• What are Stakeholders in Software Engineering?
• What are Difficulties and Risks in Software Engineering?

Software Engineering Concepts -Spring-2022 Mr. Tehseen Riaz Abbasi

  What is Software?

• 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 Engineering Concepts -Spring-2022 Mr. Tehseen Riaz Abbasi

  Software

• Program: The program or code itself is definitely included in the

software.
• Data: The data on which the program operates is also considered as
part of the software.
• Documentation: Another very important thing that most of us forget
is documentation. All the documents related to the software are also
considered as part of the software.
• So the software is not just the code written in Cobol, Java, Fortran or
C++. It also includes the data and all the documentation related to the
program.
Software Engineering Concepts -Spring-2022 Mr. Tehseen Riaz Abbasi
  Types of Software.
• Custom
• For a specific customer
• Generic
• Sold on open market
• Often called
• COTS (Commercial Off The Shelf)
• Shrink-wrapped (Refers to store-bought software, implying a
standard platform that is widely supported.)
• Embedded
• Built into hardware
• Hard to change
Software Engineering Concepts -Spring-2022 Mr. Tehseen Riaz Abbasi
  Types of Software

• Differences among custom, generic and embedded software

Software Engineering Concepts -Spring-2022 Mr. Tehseen Riaz Abbasi

  Types of Software

• Real time software

• Example. Control and monitoring systems
• Must react immediately
• Safety often a concern
• Data processing software
• Used to run businesses
• Accuracy and security of data are key

• Some software have both aspects

Software Engineering Concepts -Spring-2022 Mr. Tehseen Riaz Abbasi

  Software Products

•Generic Products
• Stand-alone systems that are marketed and sold to any customer who
wishes to buy them.
• Examples – PC software such as graphics programs, project
management tools; CAD software;
• Customized Products
• Software that is commissioned by a specific customer to meet their own
needs.
• Examples – embedded control systems, air traffic control software,
traffic monitoring systems.

Software Engineering Concepts -Spring-2022 Mr. Tehseen Riaz Abbasi

  Product Specification

•Generic products
• The specification of what the software should do is owned by the
software developer and decisions on software change are made by
the developer.

•Customized products
• The specification of what the software should do is owned by the
customer for the software and they make decisions on software
changes that are required.

Software Engineering Concepts -Spring-2022 Mr. Tehseen Riaz Abbasi

  Software Applications
• 1. System software: such as compilers, editors, file management utilities
• 2. Application software: stand-alone programs for specific needs.
• 3.Engineering/scientific software: Characterized by “number crunching”algorithms. such as
automotive stress analysis, molecular biology, orbital dynamics etc
• 4. Embedded software resides within a product or system. (key pad control of a microwave
oven, digital function of dashboard display in a car)
• 5. Product-line software focus on a limited marketplace to address mass consumer market.
(word processing, graphics, database management)
• 6. WebApps (Web applications) network centric software. As web 2.0 emerges, more
sophisticated computing environments is supported integrated with remote database and
business applications.
• 7. AI software uses non-numerical algorithm to solve complex problem. Robotics, expert
system, pattern recognition game playing
Software Engineering Concepts -Spring-2022 Mr. Tehseen Riaz Abbasi
  Changing Nature of Software

• Four broad categories of software are evolving to dominate the

industry
• Web Applications
• Mobile Applications
• Cloud Computing
• Product Line Software

Software Engineering Concepts -Spring-2022 Mr. Tehseen Riaz Abbasi

  What is Software Engineering?

• Definition:
• “Software engineering is an engineering discipline that is
concerned with all aspects of software production”.

• Engineering discipline
• Using appropriate theories and methods to solve problems bearing in
mind organizational and financial constraints.
• All aspects of software production
• Not just technical process of development. Also project management
and the development of tools, methods etc. to support software
production.
Software Engineering Concepts -Spring-2022 Mr. Tehseen Riaz Abbasi
  Software Engineering Definition
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.
The IEEE definition:
Software Engineering: The application of a systematic, disciplined,
quantifiable approach to the development, operation, and maintenance of
software; that is, the application of engineering to software.
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.
Software Engineering Concepts -Spring-2022 Mr. Tehseen Riaz Abbasi
  Computer Science Vs. Software Engineering

“Software Engineering is the process of utilizing our knowledge of

computer science in effective production of software systems.”
Computer Science Software Engineering
Computer science is concerned with the theories and Software engineering is concerned with the practical
methods that underlie computers and software system. problems of producing software.

Software Engineering Concepts -Spring-2022 Mr. Tehseen Riaz Abbasi

  What is the difference between Software
Engineering and Computer Science?
• “Computer science is concerned with theory and fundamentals;
while software engineering is concerned with the practicalities of
developing and delivering useful software”.

• Computer science theories are still insufficient to act as a

complete underpinning (supporting) for software engineering
(unlike e.g. physics and electrical engineering).

Software Engineering Concepts -Spring-2022 Mr. Tehseen Riaz Abbasi

  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. While Software engineering is part of this
process concerned with developing the software infrastructure,
control, applications and databases in the system”.

• System engineers are involved in system specification,

architectural design, integration and deployment.

Software Engineering Concepts -Spring-2022 Mr. Tehseen Riaz Abbasi

  System Engineering & Software Engineering

System Engineering Software Engineering

System engineering is concerned with all aspects of Software engineering is concerned with the practical
the development and evolution of complex systems problems of producing software.
where software plays a major role.

System engineering is therefore concerned with

hardware development, policy and process design
and system deployment, as well as software
engineering.

System engineers are involved in specifying the

system, defining its overall architecture, and then
integrating the different parts to create the finished
system.

Software Engineering Concepts -Spring-2022 Mr. Tehseen Riaz Abbasi

  Software Engineering

 A Layered Technology

tools

methods

process model

a “quality” focus

Software Engineering Concepts -Spring-2022 Mr. Tehseen Riaz Abbasi

  Software Engineering
 A Layered Technology
• Any engineering approach must rest on organizational commitment to
quality which fosters a continuous process improvement culture.
• Process layer as the foundation defines a framework with activities for
effective delivery of software engineering technology. Establish the context
where products (model, data, report, and forms) are produced, milestone are
established, quality is ensured, and change is managed.
• Method provides technical how-to ’ s for building software. It
encompasses many tasks including communication, requirement analysis,
design modeling, program construction, testing and support.
• Tools provide automated or semi-automated support for the process and
methods.
Software Engineering Concepts -Spring-2022 Mr. Tehseen Riaz Abbasi
  A Software Engineering Framework

• A quality focus
• Any engineering approach must rest on organizational commitment to
quality which fosters a continuous process improvement culture.
• Process layer
• The foundation for software engineering is the process layer
• Defines a framework that must be established for effective delivery of
software engineering technology
• Establish a context where
• Products (model, data, report, and forms) are produced
• Milestones are established
• Quality is ensured
• Change is managed
Software Engineering Concepts -Spring-2022 Mr. Tehseen Riaz Abbasi
  A Software Engineering Framework
• Methods
• Provide the technical how-to for building software
• Methods encompass a broad array of tasks
• Communication , requirements analysis, design modeling,
program construction, testing, and support
• Tools
• Provide automated or semi-automated support for the process
and the methods
• Integrated tools to support software development
• Called computer aided software engineering

Software Engineering Concepts -Spring-2022 Mr. Tehseen Riaz Abbasi

  Importance of Software Engineering

• More and more, individuals and society rely on advanced

software systems. We need to be able to produce reliable and
trustworthy systems economically and quickly.
• It is usually cheaper, in the long run, to use software
engineering methods and techniques for software systems rather
than just write the programs as if it was a personal programming
project. For most types of system, the majority of costs are the
costs of changing the software after it has gone into use.

Software Engineering Concepts -Spring-2022 Mr. Tehseen Riaz Abbasi

 Importance of Software Engineering

Software Engineering Concepts -Spring-2022 Mr. Tehseen Riaz Abbasi

  What is a Software Process?

• Software Process: “The systematic approach that is used in software

engineering is sometimes called a software process.”

• “A set of activities whose goal is the development or evolution of software”.

• Generic activities in all software processes are:

• Software specification
• Software development:
• Software validation:
• Software evolution:

Software Engineering Concepts -Spring-2022 Mr. Tehseen Riaz Abbasi

  Activities in Software Process?
• Generic activities in all software processes are:
• Software Specification - what the system should do and its development
constraints
• where customers and engineers define the software that is to be produced
and the constraints on its operation

• Software Development - production of the software system

• where the software is designed and programmed

• Software Validation - checking that the software is what the customer wants
• where the software is checked to ensure that it is what the customer
requires.

• Software Evolution - changing the software in response to changing demands

• where the software is modified to reflect changing customer and market
requirements.
Software Engineering Concepts -Spring-2022 Mr. Tehseen Riaz Abbasi
  The Software Process (Simplified)

Feasibility and
Planning Requirements

Design

Implementation
Operation and
Maintenance
Software Engineering Concepts -Spring-2022 Mr. Tehseen Riaz Abbasi
  What is a Software Process Model?
• Software Process Model: “A simplified representation of a software process,
presented from a specific perspective”.

• Examples of process perspectives are:

• Work flow  what is done when? - sequence of activities;
• Data flow  which information flows where?
• Role / action  who does what?
• Generic process models
• Waterfall
• Iterative development
• Component-based software engineering.
Software Engineering Concepts -Spring-2022 Mr. Tehseen Riaz Abbasi
  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 Concepts -Spring-2022 Mr. Tehseen Riaz Abbasi

  Activity Cost Distribution
Wat erfall m odel
0 25 50 75 100

S pecification Design Developm en t Integ rat io n and test ing

It erative development

0 25 50 75 1 00

S pecification Iterative development Syst em testing

Co mponent-based software eng ineering

0 25 50 75 1 00

S pecification Developm en t Integ rat io n and test ing

Developm en t and evolution cos ts for long-lifetime sys t ems

0 10 200 30 400

Syst em developm en t Syst em evolution

Software Engineering Concepts -Spring-2022 Mr. Tehseen Riaz Abbasi

  Product Development Costs

0 25 50 75 100

Specification Developmen t System testing

Software Engineering Concepts -Spring-2022 Mr. Tehseen Riaz Abbasi

  What are Software Engineering Methods?
• 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 Concepts -Spring-2022 Mr. Tehseen Riaz Abbasi
  What is CASE?
(Computer-Aided Software Engineering)
• CASE: “Software systems that are intended to provide automated
support for software process activities”.
• CASE systems are often used for method support.
• 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 Concepts -Spring-2022 Mr. Tehseen Riaz Abbasi

  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 acceptable.
•Maintainability
• Software must evolve to meet changing needs
•Dependability
• Software must be trustworthy
•Efficiency
• Software should not make wasteful use of system resources
•Acceptability
• Software must accepted by the users for which it was designed. This means it
must be understandable, usable and compatible with other systems.
Software Engineering Concepts -Spring-2022 Mr. Tehseen Riaz Abbasi
  What are the key challenges facing Software
Engineering?
• Key challenges are: Heterogeneity, delivery, trust and Legacy systems
• Heterogeneity
• Developing techniques for building software that can cope with heterogeneous
platforms and execution environments.
• Large-scale systems are often distributed and include a mix of hardware and software
• Delivery
• Developing techniques that lead to faster delivery of software.
• There is increasing pressure for ever faster delivery of software
• Trust
• Developing techniques that demonstrate that software can be trusted by its users.
• Legacy systems
• Valuable existing systems must be maintained and updated
Software Engineering Concepts -Spring-2022 Mr. Tehseen Riaz Abbasi
  What are Stakeholders in Software
Engineering?
• Stakeholder: A stakeholder is anyone who has a stake in the successful outcome
of the project
• 1. Users
• Those who use the software
• 2. Customers
• Those who pay for the software
• 3. Software developers
• 4. Development Managers
Note: All four roles can be fulfilled by the same person
Software Engineering Concepts -Spring-2022 Mr. Tehseen Riaz Abbasi
  What are Difficulties and Risks in
Software Engineering?
• Complexity and large numbers of details
• Uncertainty about technology
• Uncertainty about requirements
• Uncertainty about software engineering skills
• Constant change
• Political risks

Software Engineering Concepts -Spring-2022 Mr. Tehseen Riaz Abbasi

  Software Engineering Fundamentals

• Some fundamental principles apply to all types of software

system, irrespective of the development techniques used:
• Systems should be developed using a managed and understood
development process. Of course, different processes are used for different
types of software.
• Dependability and performance are important for all types of system.
• Understanding and managing the software specification and
requirements (what the software should do) are important.
• Where appropriate, you should reuse software that has already been
developed rather than write new software.

Software Engineering Concepts -Spring-2022 Mr. Tehseen Riaz Abbasi

  Web Software Engineering
• The Web is now a platform for running application and organizations are increasingly
developing web-based systems rather than local systems

• Software reuse is the dominant approach for constructing web-based systems.

• When building these systems, you think about how you can assemble them from pre-
existing software components and systems.

• Web-based systems should be developed and delivered incrementally.

• It is now generally recognized that it is impractical to specify all the requirements for
such systems in advance.
• User interfaces are constrained by the capabilities of web browsers.
• Technologies such as AJAX allow rich interfaces to be created within a web browser
but are still difficult to use. Web forms with local scripting are more commonly used.
Software Engineering Concepts -Spring-2022 Mr. Tehseen Riaz Abbasi
  Web-based Software Engineering

• Web-based systems are complex distributed systems but the

fundamental principles of software engineering discussed
previously are as applicable to them as they are to any other types
of system.

• The fundamental ideas of software engineering, discussed in

the previous section, apply to web-based software in the same
way that they apply to other types of software system.

Software Engineering Concepts -Spring-2022 Mr. Tehseen Riaz Abbasi

  Key Points - Frequently asked questions about
software engineering
Question Answer
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.
What are the attributes of good software? Good software should deliver the required functionality and
performance to the user and should be maintainable, dependable and
usable.
What is software engineering? Software engineering is an engineering discipline that is concerned
with all aspects of software production.
What are the fundamental software engineering Software specification, software development, software validation and
activities? software evolution.
What is the difference between software engineering Computer science focuses on theory and fundamentals; software
and computer science? engineering is concerned with the practicalities of developing and
delivering useful software.
What is the difference between software engineering System engineering is concerned with all aspects of computer-based
and system engineering? systems development including hardware, software and process
engineering. Software engineering is part of this more general process.

Software Engineering Concepts -Spring-2022 Mr. Tehseen Riaz Abbasi

  Key Points - Frequently asked questions about
software engineering
Question Answer
What are the key challenges facing software Coping with increasing diversity, demands for reduced delivery times
engineering? and developing trustworthy software.
What are the costs of software engineering? Roughly 60% of software costs are development costs, 40% are
testing costs. For custom software, evolution costs often exceed
development costs.
What are the best software engineering techniques While all software projects have to be professionally managed and
and methods? developed, different techniques are appropriate for different types of
system. For example, games should always be developed using a
series of prototypes whereas safety critical control systems require a
complete and analyzable specification to be developed. You can’t,
therefore, say that one method is better than another.

What differences has the web made to software The web has led to the availability of software services and the
engineering? possibility of developing highly distributed service-based systems.
Web-based systems development has led to important advances in
programming languages and software reuse.

Software Engineering Concepts -Spring-2022 Mr. Tehseen Riaz Abbasi

  Essential attributes of good software

Product characteristic Description

Maintainability Software should be written in such a way so that it can evolve to meet the changing
needs of customers. This is a critical attribute because software change is an
inevitable requirement of a changing business environment.

Dependability and security Software dependability includes a range of characteristics including reliability,
security and safety. Dependable software should not cause physical or economic
damage in the event of system failure. Malicious users should not be able to access
or damage the system.

Efficiency Software should not make wasteful use of system resources such as memory and
processor cycles. Efficiency therefore includes responsiveness, processing time,
memory utilisation, etc.
Acceptability Software must be acceptable to the type of users for which it is designed. This means
that it must be understandable, usable and compatible with other systems that they
use.

Software Engineering Concepts -Spring-2022 Mr. Tehseen Riaz Abbasi

  Key Points

• Software engineering is an engineering discipline that is concerned with

all aspects of software production.
• Essential software product attributes are maintainability, dependability
and security, efficiency and acceptability.
• The high-level activities of specification, development, validation and
evolution are part of all software processes.
• The fundamental notions of software engineering are universally
applicable to all types of system development.
• There are many different types of system and each requires appropriate
software engineering tools and techniques for their development.
• The fundamental ideas of software engineering are applicable to all
types of software system.

Software Engineering Concepts -Spring-2022 Mr. Tehseen Riaz Abbasi

 THANK YOU

Software Engineering Concepts -Spring-2022 Mr. Tehseen Riaz Abbasi