Software Development Approaches Quiz

Study Notes

Evolutionary Development

Lack of process visibility, poorly structured systems, and special skills (e.g., languages for rapid prototyping) may be required
Suitable for small or medium-size interactive systems, parts of large systems (e.g., user interface), and short-lifetime systems

Component-Based Software Engineering

Based on systematic reuse of existing components or Commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) systems
Process stages include component analysis, requirements modification, system design with reuse, and development and integration

Process Iteration

System requirements always evolve in the course of a project, so process iteration is always part of the process for large systems
Iteration can be applied to any of the generic process models
Two related approaches: incremental delivery and spiral development

Incremental Delivery

Development and delivery are broken down into increments with each increment delivering part of the required functionality
As requirements change, the software that supports the business must also evolve and change

System Evolution

Fewer and fewer systems are completely new, and there is no demarcation between development and evolution (maintenance)

The Rational Unified Process (RUP)

A modern process model derived from the work on the UML and associated process
Described from three perspectives: dynamic, static, and practice

RUP Phase Model

Phases: Inception, Elaboration, Construction, and Transition
Phase iteration: Inception sets the stage, Elaboration defines the architecture, Construction develops the system, and Transition deploys the system

RUP Phases

Inception: Establish the business case for the system
Elaboration: Develop an understanding of the problem domain and the system architecture
Construction: System design, programming, and testing
User requirements are prioritized and the highest priority requirements are included in early increments

Incremental Development

Customer value can be delivered with each increment, so system functionality is available earlier
Early increments act as a prototype to help elicit requirements for later increments
Lower risk of overall project failure
Highest priority system services tend to receive the most testing

Extreme Programming

An approach to development based on the development and delivery of very small increments of functionality
Relies on constant code improvement, user involvement in the development team, and pairwise programming

Spiral Development

Process is represented as a spiral rather than as a sequence of activities with backtracking
Each loop in the spiral represents a phase in the process
No fixed phases, such as specification or design - loops in the spiral are chosen depending on what is required
Risks are explicitly assessed and resolved throughout the process

Description

Test your knowledge of software development approaches by answering questions related to evolutionary development and component-based software engineering. Topics covered include poorly understood requirements, lack of process visibility, system structure, and applicability of different approaches.