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Questions and Answers
What attribute of good software ensures that it can be updated and improved over time?
What attribute of good software ensures that it can be updated and improved over time?
Which aspect differentiates software engineering from computer science?
Which aspect differentiates software engineering from computer science?
What is the primary cost associated with software engineering?
What is the primary cost associated with software engineering?
What encompasses the broadest aspect of software engineering?
What encompasses the broadest aspect of software engineering?
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Which of the following is a key challenge faced by software engineering?
Which of the following is a key challenge faced by software engineering?
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What role does system engineering play in relation to software engineering?
What role does system engineering play in relation to software engineering?
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What is a common misconception about software costs in custom software development?
What is a common misconception about software costs in custom software development?
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What is a vital practice for all software projects according to software engineering principles?
What is a vital practice for all software projects according to software engineering principles?
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What is a characteristic of generic software products?
What is a characteristic of generic software products?
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Who owns the specification of a customized software product?
Who owns the specification of a customized software product?
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What role has the web played in software engineering?
What role has the web played in software engineering?
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Which of the following describes a critical attribute of good software?
Which of the following describes a critical attribute of good software?
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Which of the following is NOT true about generic software products?
Which of the following is NOT true about generic software products?
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What is a key difference between generic and customized software?
What is a key difference between generic and customized software?
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Why is maintainability considered an essential attribute of good software?
Why is maintainability considered an essential attribute of good software?
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What is a typical example of a generic software product?
What is a typical example of a generic software product?
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Which of the following statements best defines software engineering?
Which of the following statements best defines software engineering?
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What factor is mentioned as a reason that software costs dominate computer system costs?
What factor is mentioned as a reason that software costs dominate computer system costs?
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Which of the following best describes one of the challenges of software project failure?
Which of the following best describes one of the challenges of software project failure?
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In terms of software maintenance costs, which statement is accurate?
In terms of software maintenance costs, which statement is accurate?
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Why do many companies face challenges in software quality and cost?
Why do many companies face challenges in software quality and cost?
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Which ethical consideration is important in software engineering?
Which ethical consideration is important in software engineering?
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Which of the following represents a significant economic impact of software in developed nations?
Which of the following represents a significant economic impact of software in developed nations?
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What is one key outcome of expanding software engineering methods and techniques?
What is one key outcome of expanding software engineering methods and techniques?
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What is the dominant approach for constructing web-based systems?
What is the dominant approach for constructing web-based systems?
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Which development approach is recognized as impractical for web-based systems?
Which development approach is recognized as impractical for web-based systems?
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What technologies support the creation of rich interfaces within a web browser?
What technologies support the creation of rich interfaces within a web browser?
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Which approach involves implementing software as stand-alone web services?
Which approach involves implementing software as stand-alone web services?
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In terms of system complexity, web-based systems can be described as:
In terms of system complexity, web-based systems can be described as:
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Which characteristics are included in software dependability?
Which characteristics are included in software dependability?
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What is a major benefit of using software engineering methods?
What is a major benefit of using software engineering methods?
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What does the acceptability of software refer to?
What does the acceptability of software refer to?
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What is included in the software engineering discipline?
What is included in the software engineering discipline?
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Which factor is NOT associated with efficiency in software?
Which factor is NOT associated with efficiency in software?
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Why is it important to have reliable software systems?
Why is it important to have reliable software systems?
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Which activity involves defining software and its constraints?
Which activity involves defining software and its constraints?
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What does software efficiency encompass?
What does software efficiency encompass?
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What is the primary purpose of software validation?
What is the primary purpose of software validation?
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Which of the following best describes software evolution?
Which of the following best describes software evolution?
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What does the term 'heterogeneity' indicate in software systems?
What does the term 'heterogeneity' indicate in software systems?
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Which statement best represents the challenge of scale in software development?
Which statement best represents the challenge of scale in software development?
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What type of application runs independently on a local computer without needing network connectivity?
What type of application runs independently on a local computer without needing network connectivity?
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What aspect is critical for ensuring trust in software?
What aspect is critical for ensuring trust in software?
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Why is there no universal set of software techniques applicable to all software types?
Why is there no universal set of software techniques applicable to all software types?
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Which software application type involves remote access and is often used for e-commerce?
Which software application type involves remote access and is often used for e-commerce?
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Study Notes
Introduction to Software Engineering
- Software engineering is a discipline focused on all aspects of software production, from initial specifications to ongoing maintenance.
- Economies of developed nations rely heavily on software.
- Increasingly, systems are software-controlled.
- Software costs often exceed hardware costs, and maintaining software is frequently more expensive than developing it.
- Software complexity is ever-increasing, demanding constantly evolving and more sophisticated demands.
- Using software engineering methodologies and techniques leads to more reliable and less costly development.
Topics Covered
- Professional Software Development: Discusses the concept of software engineering.
- Software Engineering Ethics: Provides a brief overview of ethical considerations in software.
- Case Studies: Introduces examples used throughout the book.
Software Costs
- Software costs often dominate computer system costs.
- Maintaining software, particularly over long lifespans, is frequently more expensive than initial development.
- Software engineering strives for cost-effective development processes.
Software Project Failure
- Increasing complexity leads to evolving demands on systems.
- Failure to employ software engineering techniques can lead to higher costs and reduced reliability.
- Many companies adopt software development without using structured methods, resulting in more expensive and less reliable systems.
Frequently Asked Questions on Software Engineering
- What is software? Computer programs and associated documentation; developed for specific customers or general markets.
- What are the attributes of good software? Functionality and performance; maintainable, usable, dependable.
- What is software engineering? An engineering discipline focused on all aspects of software production.
- What are fundamental software engineering activities? Specification, development, validation, and evolution.
- Software engineering vs. Computer science? Computer science focuses on theory, software engineering focuses on practicalities.
- Software engineering vs. Systems engineering? Systems engineering is a broader concept that includes hardware in addition to software.
Software Products
- Generic products: Stand-alone systems marketed to any customer (e.g., PC software, CAD software, appointment scheduling).
- Customized products: Commissioned software to meet specific customer needs (e.g., embedded systems, air traffic control).
Product Specification
- Generic products: Software specifications are owned and controlled by the developer of the software.
- Customized products: Customer dictates the specifications and makes subsequent design decisions.
Essential Attributes of Good Software
- Maintainability: The ability of software to evolve over time.
- Dependability and Security: The desired reliability, security and robustness of the system.
- Efficiency: The minimal use of computing resources (memory, processor cycles).
- Acceptability: The ease of use, understandability and compatibility of the system by the user.
Software Engineering Fundamentals
- Effective software engineering relies on a managed and understood development process.
- Dependability and performance are critical aspects to consider.
- Specification and efficient management of requirements is paramount.
- Reusing existing software components whenever possible is recommended.
Software Process Activities
- Software specification: Defining what the software does and its constraints.
- Software development: Designing and programming the software.
- Software validation: Ensuring the final product meets the specifications.
- Software evolution: Adapting software to meet changing demands.
General Issues Affecting Software
- Heterogeneity: The use of diverse, distributed systems.
- Business and social change: Rapid changes in business and societal needs needing quick software adaptations.
- Security and trust: Software's role in modern life demands trustworthy security and reliability.
- Scale: Development ranges from embedded systems to large internetscale systems.
- Software Engineering Diversity: Recognize there isn't one set process for every software project. Processes often depend on nature of the software, desired product, and the development team expertise.
Application Types
- Stand-alone applications: Run independently on a local device.
- Interactive transaction-based applications: Access remote systems for interactions.
- Embedded control systems: Control hardware devices.
- Batch processing systems: Execute large data processes.
- Entertainment systems: Designed for leisure purposes.
- Systems for modeling and simulation: Construct models for various phenomena.
- Data collection systems: Collect and process data from various sources to transmit to other systems.
- Systems of Systems: Integration of several other software systems.
Internet Software Engineering
- The Web is now a critical platform for applications.
- Web services and applications functionality are accessed through networks.
- Cloud computing is a model for remote software access.
Web-based Software Engineering
- Web-based systems are complex but fundamental ideas of software still apply.
- Web-based software design often incorporates incremental and agile methodologies.
- Reuse of existing software components (when appropriate) and incremental/agile development strategies.
- Service-oriented systems are common, using service-orientated software engineering principles.
- Rich interfaces (AJAX, HTML5) enhance user experience within a web browser.
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Description
This quiz covers the key concepts in software engineering, including professional development, ethics, and the economics of software costs. Explore how software complexity and methodologies influence the reliability and cost-effectiveness of software production. Perfect for students and professionals looking to deepen their understanding of software engineering principles.
