CS425/CS625 @ UNR

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Syllabus
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http://www.cs.unr.edu/~sushil/
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Office hours: TR 2:30 – 3:30 and by appointment
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Evaluation:
• Analysis, Code, Documents, Exams, Presentations, Project,
Teamwork.
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Assignment 0, due August 31 in class
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The only stupid question is the one that is left
unasked. ASK! In class, my office, after class…

Computer Science Software Engineering Slide 1

CS425/CS625 @ UNR
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Learn by doing
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Two projects
• Galaxy Sleuth
• Graduate Program Application
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Goals:
1. To understand the basic steps of developing a large software project.
2. To be able work in a team on a large software project .
3. To be able to effectively analyze a programming problem.
4. To be able to create class, object, use case, interaction, sequence, and
state machine diagrams in UML notation.
5. To be able to effectively design a solution to a programming problem.
6. To be able to assess potential sources of risk of failure for a large
software project.

Computer Science Software Engineering Slide 2

Introduction

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Getting started with software
engineering

Computer Science Software Engineering Slide 3

Objectives
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To introduce software engineering and to explain
its importance
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To set out the answers to key questions about
software engineering
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To introduce ethical and professional issues and
to explain why they are of concern to software
engineers

Computer Science Software Engineering Slide 4

Topics covered
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FAQs about software engineering
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Professional and ethical responsibility

Computer Science Software Engineering Slide 5

Software engineering
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The economies of ALL developed nations are
dependent on software
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More and more systems are software controlled
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Software engineering is concerned with theories,
methods and tools for professional software
development
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Software engineering expenditure represents a
significant fraction of GNP in all developed
countries

Computer Science Software Engineering Slide 6

Software costs
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Software costs often dominate system costs. The
costs of software on a PC are often greater than
the hardware cost
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Software costs more to maintain than it does to
develop. For systems with a long life,
maintenance costs may be several times
development costs
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Software engineering is concerned with cost-
effective software development

Computer Science Software Engineering Slide 7

FAQs about software engineering
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What is software?
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What is software engineering?
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What is the difference between software
engineering and computer science?
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What is the difference between software
engineering and system engineering?
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What is a software process?

What is a software process model?

Computer Science Software Engineering Slide 8

FAQs about software engineering

What are the costs of software engineering?
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What are software engineering methods?
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What is CASE (Computer-Aided Software
Engineering)
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What are the attributes of good software?
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What are the key challenges facing software
engineering?

Computer Science Software Engineering Slide 9

What is software?
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Computer programs and associated
documentation
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Software products may be developed for a
particular customer or may be developed for a
general market
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Software products may be
• Generic - developed to be sold to a range of different customers
• Custom - developed for a single customer according to their
specification

Computer Science Software Engineering Slide 10

What is software engineering?

Software engineering is an engineering
discipline which is concerned with all aspects of
software production
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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

Computer Science Software Engineering Slide 11

What is the difference between software
engineering and computer science?

Computer science is concerned with theory and
fundamentals; software engineering is concerned
with the practicalities of developing and
delivering useful software
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Computer science theories are currently
insufficient to act as a complete underpinning for
software engineering

Computer Science Software Engineering Slide 12

What is a software process?
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A set of activities whose goal is the development
or evolution of software
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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

Computer Science Software Engineering Slide 13

What is a software process model?
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A simplified representation of a software process,
presented from a specific perspective
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Examples of process perspectives are
• Workflow perspective - sequence of activities
• Data-flow perspective - information flow
• Role/action perspective - who does what
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Generic process models
• Waterfall
• Evolutionary development
• Formal transformation
• Integration from reusable components

Computer Science Software Engineering Slide 14

What are the costs of software engineering?
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Roughly 60% of costs are development costs,
40% are testing costs. For custom software,
evolution costs often exceed development costs
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Costs vary depending on the type of system being
developed and the requirements of system
attributes such as performance and system
reliability
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Distribution of costs depends on the development
model that is used

Computer Science Software Engineering Slide 15

What are software engineering methods?
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Structured approaches to software development which
include system models, notations, rules, design advice and
process guidance
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Model descriptions
• Descriptions of graphical models which should be produced
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Rules
• Constraints applied to system models
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Recommendations
• Advice on good design practice
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Process guidance
• What activities to follow

Computer Science Software Engineering Slide 16

What is CASE (Computer-Aided
Software Engineering)

Software systems which are intended to provide
automated support for software process activities.
CASE systems are often used for method support
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Upper-CASE
• Tools to support the early process activities of requirements and
design
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Lower-CASE
• Tools to support later activities such as programming,
debugging and testing

Computer Science Software Engineering Slide 17

What are the attributes of good software?
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The software should deliver the required functionality and
performance to the user and should be maintainable,
dependable and usable
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Maintainability
• Software must evolve to meet changing needs
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Dependability
• Software must be trustworthy
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Efficiency
• Software should not make wasteful use of system resources
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Usability
• Software must be usable by the users for which it was designed

Computer Science Software Engineering Slide 18

What are the key challenges facing
software engineering?
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Coping with legacy systems, coping with increasing
diversity and coping with demands for reduced
delivery times
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Legacy systems
• Old, valuable systems must be maintained and updated
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Heterogeneity
• Systems are distributed and include a mix of hardware and software
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Delivery
• There is increasing pressure for faster delivery of software

Computer Science Software Engineering Slide 19

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

Computer Science Software Engineering Slide 20

Issues of professional responsibility
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Confidentiality
• Engineers should normally respect the confidentiality of their
employers or clients irrespective of whether or not a formal
confidentiality agreement has been signed.
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Competence
• Engineers should not misrepresent their level of competence.
They should not knowingly accept work which is outside their
competence.

Computer Science Software Engineering Slide 21

Issues of professional responsibility
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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.
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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).

Computer Science Software Engineering Slide 22

ACM/IEEE Code of Ethics
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The professional societies in the US have cooperated
to produce a code of ethical practice.
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Members of these organisations sign up to the code
of practice when they join.
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The Code contains eight Principles related to the
behaviour of and decisions made by professional
software engineers, including practitioners,
educators, managers, supervisors and policy makers,
as well as trainees and students of the profession.

Computer Science Software Engineering Slide 23

Code of ethics - preamble
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Preamble
• The short version of the code summarizes aspirations at a high level
of the abstraction; the clauses that are included in the full version
give examples and details of how these aspirations change the way
we act as software engineering professionals. Without the
aspirations, the details can become legalistic and tedious; without
the details, the aspirations can become high sounding but empty;
together, the aspirations and the details form a cohesive code.
• Software engineers shall commit themselves to making the analysis,
specification, design, development, testing and maintenance of
software a beneficial and respected profession. In accordance with
their commitment to the health, safety and welfare of the public,
software engineers shall adhere to the following Eight Principles:

Computer Science Software Engineering Slide 24

Code of ethics - principles
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1. PUBLIC
• Software engineers shall act consistently with the public
interest.
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2. CLIENT AND EMPLOYER
• Software engineers shall act in a manner that is in the best
interests of their client and employer consistent with the public
interest.
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3. PRODUCT
• Software engineers shall ensure that their products and related
modifications meet the highest professional standards possible.

Computer Science Software Engineering Slide 25

Code of ethics - principles
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JUDGMENT
• Software engineers shall maintain integrity and independence
in their professional judgment.
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5. MANAGEMENT
• Software engineering managers and leaders shall subscribe
to and promote an ethical approach to the management of
software development and maintenance.
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6. PROFESSION
• Software engineers shall advance the integrity and reputation
of the profession consistent with the public interest.

Computer Science Software Engineering Slide 26

Code of ethics - principles
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7. COLLEAGUES
• Software engineers shall be fair to and supportive of their
colleagues.
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8. SELF
• Software engineers shall participate in lifelong learning
regarding the practice of their profession and shall
promote an ethical approach to the practice of the
profession.

Computer Science Software Engineering Slide 27

Ethical dilemmas
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Disagreement in principle with the policies of
senior management
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Your employer acts in an unethical way and
releases a safety-critical system without finishing
the testing of the system
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Participation in the development of military
weapons systems or nuclear systems

Computer Science Software Engineering Slide 28

Key points
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Software engineering is an engineering discipline which is
concerned with all aspects of software production.
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Software products consist of developed programs and
associated documentation. Essential product attributes are
maintainability, dependability, efficiency and usability.
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The software process consists of activities which are involved in
developing software products. Basic activities are software
specification, development, validation and evolution.
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Methods are organised ways of producing software. They include
suggestions for the process to be followed, the notations to be used,
rules governing the system descriptions which are produced and design
guidelines.

Computer Science Software Engineering Slide 29

Key points
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CASE tools are software systems which are designed to
support routine activities in the software process such as
editing design diagrams, checking diagram consistency and
keeping track of program tests which have been run.
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Software engineers have responsibilities to the engineering
profession and society. They should not simply be concerned
with technical issues.
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Professional societies publish codes of conduct which set out
the standards of behaviour expected of their members.

Computer Science Software Engineering Slide 30