IN T R O D U C T IO N

S o ftw a re e n g in e e rin g is a n e n g in e e rin g b ra n c h o f c o m p u te r sc ie n c e a sso c ia te d w ith th e

d e sig n , d e v e lo p m e n t, te stin g , a n d m a in te n a n c e o f so ftw a re p ro d u c ts u sin g w e ll -d e fin e d

sc ie n tific p rin c ip le s, m e th o d s a n d p ro c e d u re s. T h e e n g in e e rin g p rin c ip le s a n d k n o w le d g e o f

p ro g ra m m in g la n g u a g e s a re a p p lie d b y so ftw a re e n g in e e rs to b u ild so ftw a re so lu tio n s

(a p p lic a tio n s) to so lv e p ro b le m s fo r e n d u se rs. S o ftw a re e n g in e e rs d e sig n a n d d e v e lo p

c o m p u te r g a m e s, b u sin e ss a p p lic a tio n s, o p e ra tin g sy ste m s, n e tw o rk c o n tro l sy ste m s, a n d

m id d le w a re . E x a m p le s o f b u sin e ss a p p lic a tio n s a re p a y ro ll sy ste m , h u m a n re so u rc e

m a n a g e m e n t a p p lic a tio n , stu d e n t m a n a g e m e n t sy ste m , h o te l m a n a g e m e n t sy ste m .

IE E E d e fin e s so ftw a re e n g in e e rin g a s:

( 1 ) T h e a p p l i c a t i o n o f a s y s t e m a t i c ,d i s c i p li n e d ,q u a n ti f ia b l e a p p r o a c h t o t h e

d e v e l o p m e n t ,o p e r a t i o n a n d m a i n t e n a n c e o f s o f t w a r e ; t h a t i s , t h e a p p l i c a t i o n o f e n g i n e e r i n g

to so ftw a re .

(2 ) T h e stu d y o f a p p ro a c h e s a s in th e a b o v e sta te m e n t.

F ritz B a u e r, a G e rm a n c o m p u te r sc ie n tist, d e fin e s s o ftw a re e n g in e e rin g a s:

S o ftw a re e n g in e e rin g is th e e sta b lish m e n t a n d u se o f so u n d e n g in e e rin g p rin c ip le s in o rd e r to

e c o n o m ic a lly o b ta in so ftw a re th a t is re lia b le a n d w o rk e ffic ie n tly o n re a l m a c h in e s.

S o ftw a re is a c o lle c tio n o f e x e c u ta b le p ro g ra m m in g c o d e , a sso c ia te d lib ra rie s a n d

d o c u m e n ta tio n s. S o ftw a re , w h e n m a d e fo r a sp e c ific re q u ire m e n t is c a lle d a so ftw a re p ro d u c t.

E n g i n e e r i n g o n t h e o t h e r h a n d , i s a l l a b o u t d e v e l o p i n g p r o d u c t s , u s i n g w e l l - d e f i n e d , s c i e n t i f ic

p rin c ip le s a n d m e th o d s.
S o ftw a r e P a r a d ig m s

S o ftw a re p a ra d ig m s re fe r to th e m e th o d s a n d ste p s, w h ic h a re ta k e n w h ile d e sig n in g th e

so ftw a re . T h e se c a n b e c o m b in e d in to v a rio u s c a te g o rie s, th o u g h e a c h o f th e m is c o n ta in e d in

o n e a n o th e r:

P ro g ra m m in g p a ra d ig m is a su b se t o f S o ftw a re d e sig n p a ra d ig m w h ic h is fu rth e r a su b se t o f

S o ftw a re d e v e lo p m e n t p a ra d ig m .

S o ftw a re D e v e lo p m e n t P a ra d ig m

T h is P a ra d ig m is k n o w n a s so ftw a re e n g in e e rin g p a ra d ig m s w h e re a ll th e e n g in e e rin g

c o n c e p ts p e rta in in g to th e d e v e lo p m e n t o f so ftw a re a re a p p lie d . It in c lu d e s v a rio u s re se a rc h e s

a n d re q u ire m e n t g a th e rin g w h ic h h e lp s th e so ftw a re p ro d u c t to b u ild . It c o n sists o f –

R e q u ire m e n t g a th e rin g

S o ftw a re d e sig n

P ro g ra m m in g

S o ftw a r e is th e se t o f in stru c tio n s in th e fo rm o f p ro g ra m s to g o v e rn th e c o m p u te r sy ste m a n d

to p ro c e ss th e h a rd w a re c o m p o n e n ts. T o p ro d u c e a so ftw a re p ro d u c t th e se t o f a c tiv itie s is u sed.

T h is se t is c a lle d a so ftw a re p ro c e ss. T h e c o m p o n e n ts o f th e so ftw a re :

❖ Program –

A c o m p u te r p ro g ra m is a list o f in stru c tio n s th a t te ll a c o m p u te r w h a t to d o .

❖ D o c u m e n ta tio n –

S o u rc e in fo rm a tio n a b o u t th e p ro d u c t c o n ta in e d in d e sig n d o c u m e n ts, d e ta ile d

❖ O p e r a tin g P r o c e d u r e s –

S e t o f ste p -b y -ste p in stru c tio n s c o m p ile d b y a n o rg a n iz a tio n to h e lp w o rk e rs c a rry

o u t c o m p le x ro u tin e o p e ra tio n s.

❖ C o d e : th e in stru c tio n s th a t a c o m p u te r e x e c u te s in o rd e r to p e rfo rm a sp e c ific ta sk

o r se t o f ta sk s.

❖ D a ta : th e in fo rm a tio n th a t th e so ftw a re u se s o r m a n ip u la te s.

❖ U se r in te rfa c e : th e m e a n s b y w h ic h th e u se r in te ra c ts w ith th e so ftw a re , su c h a s

b u tto n s, m e n u s, a n d te x t fie ld s.

❖ L ib r a r ie s : p re -w ritte n c o d e th a t c a n b e re u se d b y th e so ftw a re to p e rfo rm

c o m m o n ta sk s.

❖ D o c u m e n ta tio n : in fo rm a tio n th a t e x p la in s h o w to u se a n d m a i n ta in th e so ftw a re ,

su c h a s u se r m a n u a ls a n d te c h n ic a l g u id e s.

❖ T e st c a se s : a se t o f in p u ts, e x e c u tio n c o n d itio n s, a n d e x p e c te d o u tp u ts th a t a re

u se d to te st th e so ftw a re fo r c o rre c tn e ss a n d re lia b ility .

❖ C o n fig u r a tio n file s: file s th a t c o n ta in se ttin g s a n d p a ra m e te rs th a t a re u se d to

c o n fig u re th e so ftw a re to ru n in a sp e c ific e n v iro n m e n t.

❖ B u ild a n d d e p lo y m e n t sc rip ts: sc rip ts o r to o ls th a t a re u se d to b u ild , p a c k a g e , a n d

d e p lo y th e so ftw a re to d iffe re n t e n v iro n m e n ts.

❖ M e ta d a ta : in fo rm a tio n a b o u t th e so ftw a re , su c h a s v e rsio n n u m b e rs, a u th o rs, a n d

c o p y rig h t in fo rm a tio n .

A ll th e se c o m p o n e n ts are im p o rta n t fo r so ftw a re d e v e lo p m e n t, te stin g a n d d e p l o y m e n t.

S o ftw a r e D e v e lo p m e n t : In th is p ro c e ss, d e sig n in g , p ro g ra m m in g , d o c u m e n tin g , te stin g , a n d

b u g fix in g is d o n e .
S o f t w a r e D e s ig n P a r a d ig m

T h is p a ra d ig m is a p a rt o f S o ftw a re D e v e lo p m e n t a n d in c lu d e s –

D e sig n

M a in te n a n c e

P ro g ra m m in g

P r o g r a m m in g P a r a d ig m

T h is p a ra d ig m is re la te d c lo se ly to p ro g ra m m in g a sp e c t o f so ftw a re d e v e lo p m e n t. T h is

in c lu d e s –

C o d in g

T e stin g

In te g ra tio n

N e e d o f S o ftw a re E n g in e e rin g

T h e n e e d o f s o f t w a r e e n g i n e e r i n g a r i s e s b e c a u s e o f h i g h e r r a t e o f c h a n g e i n u s e r r e q u i r e m e n ts

a n d e n v iro n m e n t o n w h ic h th e so ftw a re is w o rk in g .

L a r g e so ftw a r e - It is e a sie r to b u ild a w a ll th a n to a h o u se o r b u ild in g , lik e w ise , a s the

siz e o f so ftw a re b e c o m e la rg e e n g in e e rin g h a s to ste p to g iv e it a sc ie n tific p ro c e ss.

S c a la b ility - If th e so ftw a re p ro cess w ere not based on sc ie n tific a n d e n g i n e e r in g

c o n c e p ts, it w o u ld b e e a sie r to re -c re a te n e w so ftw a re th a n to sc a le a n e x istin g o n e .

C o st- A s h a rd w a re in d u stry h a s sh o w n its sk ills a n d h u g e m a n u fa c tu rin g h a s lo w er

d o w n h e p r i c e o f c o m p u t e r a n d e l e c t r o n i c h a r d w a r e . B u t t h e c o s t o f s o f t w a r e r e m a in s

h ig h if p ro p e r p ro c e ss is n o t a d a p te d .

D y n a m ic N a tu r e - T h e a lw a y s g ro w in g a n d a d a p tin g n a tu re o f so ftw a re h u g e ly d e p e n ds

u p o n th e e n v iro n m e n t in w h ic h u se r w o rk s. If th e n a tu re o f so ftw a re is a lw a y s c h a n g in g,

new e n h a n c e m e n ts need to be done in th e e x istin g o n e . T h is is w h ere s o f t w a re

e n g in e e rin g p la y s a g o o d ro le .

Q u a lity M a n a g e m e n t- B e tte r p ro c e ss o f so ftw a re d e v e lo p m e n t p ro v id e s b e tte r a n d

q u a lity so ftw a re p ro d u c t.

C h a ra c te ristic s o f g o o d so ftw a re

A so ftw a re p ro d u c t c a n b e ju d g e d b y w h a t it o ffe rs a n d h o w w e ll it c a n b e u se d . T h is

so ftw a re m u st sa tisfy o n th e fo llo w in g g ro u n d s:

O p e ra tio n a l

T ra n sitio n a l

M a in te n a n c e

W e ll-e n g in e e re d a n d c ra fte d so ftw a re is e x p e c te d to h a v e th e fo llo w in g c h a ra c te ristic s:

T h is te lls u s h o w w e ll so ftw a re w o rk s in o p e ra tio n s. It c a n b e m e a su re d o n :

B udget

U sa b ility

E ffic ie n c y

C o rre c tn e ss

F u n c tio n a lity

D e p e n d a b ility

S e c u rity

S a fe ty

T r a n sitio n a l

T h is a sp e c t is im p o rta n t w h e n th e so ftw a re is m o v e d fro m o n e p la tfo rm to a n o th e r:

P o rta b ility

I n t e r o p e r a b i l i ty

R e u sa b ility

A d a p ta b ility

M a in te n a n c e

T h is a sp e c t b rie fs a b o u t h o w w e ll a so ftw a re h a s th e c a p a b ilitie s to m a in ta in itse lf in th e e v e r -

c h a n g in g e n v iro n m e n t:

M o d u la rity

M a i n t a i n a b i l i ty

F le x ib ility

S c a la b ility

In sh o rt, S o ftw a re e n g in e e rin g is a b ra n c h o f c o m p u te r sc ie n c e , w h ic h u se s w e ll -d e fin e d

e n g in e e rin g c o n c e p ts re q u ire d to p ro d u c e e ffic ie n t, d u ra b le , sc a la b le , in -b u d g e t a n d o n -tim e

so ftw a re p ro d u c ts.

P rin t P a g

N ext

T u to ria ls P o in t is a le a d in g E d T e c h c o m p a n y striv in g to p ro v id e th e b e st le a rn in g m a te ria l

o n te c h n ic a l a n d n o n -