Software Design Concepts

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Questions and Answers

Why is it important to apply different levels of abstraction in the design process?

To limit the number of components in the system

To create a uniform design pattern for all projects

To remove errors and increase software efficiency (correct)

To ensure that all modules are interconnected

What does modularity in software design primarily refer to?

Dividing the system into smaller, manageable parts (correct)

Increasing the complexity of the project

The ability to hide information within modules

Using a single architecture for all components

Which of the following statements best describes refinement in software design?

It emphasizes the modular structure of the design

It is a process to reconstruct an entire software system

It is used to maintain consistency across components

It involves removing impurities to improve quality (correct)

What role does architecture play in software design?

It describes the overall structure and interaction of software components Signup and view all the answers

What does information hiding accomplish in software design?

It protects module information from external access Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of refactoring in software development?

To improve the internal structure without changing its external behavior Signup and view all the answers

At which level of software design do components interact with each other?

Architectural design Signup and view all the answers

What does the term 'pattern' refer to in software design?

A repeated form or design within the architecture Signup and view all the answers

What is primarily produced during the software design phase?

The design document Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is not an objective of good software design?

Profitability Signup and view all the answers

Which aspect of software design entails making it easy to understand for users?

Understandability Signup and view all the answers

What does abstraction in software design primarily aim to achieve?

Hide irrelevant data Signup and view all the answers

Which concept in software design helps in creating a model of the system or product?

Software design concept Signup and view all the answers

In terms of resources, what should a good software design address?

Time and cost optimization Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is essential for ensuring maintainability in software design?

Comprehensive documentation Signup and view all the answers

What is designed during the software design phase to facilitate interactions among modules?

Control relationships Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Introduction to Software Design

Software design is the process of transforming user requirements into a suitable form for programmers to code and implement.
During the design phase, a design document is created based on the SRS (Software Requirements Specification) document.
The goal of this phase is to convert the SRS into a design document.

Design Phase Elements

Different modules needed
Control relationships between modules
Interface between modules
Data structures used within modules
Algorithms needed for module implementation

Software Design Objectives

Correctness: The design accurately implements all system functionalities.
Efficiency: Optimization of resource use (time and cost).
Understandability: Clear, modular design with layered modules.
Completeness: The design includes all necessary components (data structures, modules, external interfaces, etc.).
Maintainability: The design allows easy modifications in response to customer requests.

Software Design Concepts

The idea or principle behind the design process.
It describes how to solve the problem for software design, including logic and thought processes.
Creates a model for the system or product.
Provides structure and support for development.

Software Design Concepts - List

Abstraction (Hiding irrelevant data to decrease complexity and improve efficiency.)
Modularity (Dividing the system into smaller modules.)
Architecture (Structure of the system and components.)
Refinement (Improving the system design by eliminating impurities.)
Pattern (Repeated forms or designs.)
Information hiding (Concealing module information from other modules.)
Refactoring (Improving system structure without changing behavior.)

Design Considerations

Abstraction: Hiding details to reduce complexity and increase efficiency. Multiple abstraction levels needed for the design process.
Modularity: System subdivision to decrease complex systems and promote reusable modules. Smaller, manageable components are better.
High module cohesion/low coupling: Modules should be highly related and independent/interdependent to each other.

Levels of Software Design

Architectural Design: Overall structure of the system ensuring conceptual integrity, depicting the system as components interacting with each other. Defines the proposed solution domain.
Preliminary/High-Level Design: Decomposing the problem into modules, defining relationships between them and interfaces. Documented using structure charts and UML.
Detailed Design: Examining each module in detail to define data structures and algorithms. Documented in module specification documents.

Software Design Process - Diagram

Step-by-step flow from analyzing the problem to reviewing the design, including generating system interface, architecture (and detailed designs), and evaluations. Evaluations occur at multiple steps.

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Description

Explore the essential elements of software design, including the transformation of user requirements into design documents. Learn about the key objectives such as correctness, efficiency, understandability, completeness, and maintainability during the design phase.