CP317A Software Engineering Week 3-2

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Questions and Answers

What is the purpose of UML diagrams in software engineering?

To create a visual representation of the system's data flow.

To provide a standardized way to visualize the system's design. (correct)

To generate code directly from the diagrams.

To analyze the system's performance and efficiency.

Which of the following is NOT a design principle discussed in the content?

Abstraction (correct)

Decomposition

Coupling

Cohesion

Which architecture type is most likely to cause a race condition?

Event-driven (correct)

Data-centric

Client/server

Monolithic

What is the main problem caused by a race condition?

Loss of data consistency. (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the purpose of a Class diagram in UML?

To define the structure and relationships between classes in the system. (B) Signup and view all the answers

What does the notation '0..*' in a UML Class diagram represent?

Many instances (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary purpose of Component diagrams in UML?

To showcase the overall architecture of the system and how components interact. (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a benefit of using a use-case diagram?

To model the detailed implementation of a specific feature (C) Signup and view all the answers

What type of diagram is used for modeling discrete behavior through finite state transitions?

State Machine Diagram (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a valid UML diagram type?

Network diagram (C) Signup and view all the answers

In a sequence diagram, what does the timeline represent?

The sequence of interactions between objects (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following diagrams are considered to be 'structure diagrams'?

Class Diagram and Component Diagram (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is meant by 'decomposition' in software design?

Breaking down a complex system into smaller, independent modules (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is the relationship between cohesion and software design?

Higher cohesion leads to a better software design (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes 'coupling' in software design?

The degree of interdependency between different modules (C) Signup and view all the answers

In the context of software design, why is low coupling generally preferable?

Low coupling makes the system easier to understand and maintain (A) Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Software Engineering Course Notes

Course: CP317A Software Engineering
Instructor: Shaun Gao, Ph.D., P.Eng.
Topic: High-level design, part 2 - Week 3-2

Agenda

Review week 3-1
Race condition
Unified Modeling Language (UML)
UML diagrams
- Structure diagrams (Class, Object, Package, Composite Structure, Component, Manifestation, Deployment, Network Architecture, Profile)
- Behavior diagrams (Use Case, Activity, State Machine, Sequence, Interaction)
Design principles (3 principles)
- Decomposition
- Cohesion
- Coupling
Summary

Race Condition

Event-driven or distributed architectures can cause race conditions
Race condition: undesirable situation where multiple processes try to modify the same object concurrently
Problems: data inconsistency
Prevention techniques: mutual exclusion, semaphores

Unified Modeling Language (UML)

UML: general-purpose modeling language for software engineering
Intended to visualize system designs
Multiple UML diagram types for different purposes
UML version 2.0 defines 13 diagrams

Design Principles

Decomposition: Breaking down complex problems into smaller, manageable parts. (e.g., ATM example - splitting into display, balance, deposit, transfer, withdraw)
Cohesion: How closely related the elements within a module are. High cohesion is better
Coupling: The dependencies between software components or modules. Low coupling is better

UML: Diagram Types

Structure Diagrams: show the static structure of the system
- Class Diagram: depicts classes, attributes, operations, and relationships between them; Used for creating static structure
- Object Diagram: depicts specific objects from a class diagram; Show the instances of the classes mentioned in the class diagram
- Package Diagram: depicts how a system is composed into several packages; Shows how the system classifies and arranges each component
- Component Diagram: depicts the software components in a system; Shows the different components in the system in a graphical representation
- Composite Structure Diagram: graphical representation of how parts of a class structure function
- Deployment Diagram: shows the physical deployment of components in a system
- Manifestation Diagram: show how components execute in a system
- Network Architecture Diagram: depicts how systems in a network interact
- Profile Diagram: extends the UML language and notation for a specific domain or project
Behavior Diagrams: show the system's dynamic behaviour over time
- Use Case Diagram: model the interaction between actors/users and the system's functions. Show function of different components to the user or actor
- State Machine Diagram: model the behavior and states of a component as it progresses through various circumstances (Example: ATM states).
- Sequence Diagram: depicts the interaction among objects in a system; Show the communication/messages exchanged between actors over a sequence
- Activity Diagram: model business logic with flows and actions; shows different phases within the system
- Interaction Diagram: show interactions between objects and their interactions over a timeframe.

Additional Information

Project Report (SDD) is the starting point for group projects
Low-level design will be discussed next week
Help available for group formation

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Description

This quiz focuses on high-level design aspects of software engineering, particularly covering race conditions and the Unified Modeling Language (UML). You will explore different UML diagrams and essential design principles like decomposition, cohesion, and coupling. Test your understanding of these concepts and their applications in software development.