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Questions and Answers
What is software engineering concerned with?
Why are software costs mentioned as significant?
What differentiates generic products from customized products in software engineering?
In software development, what phase is associated with higher maintenance costs compared to initial development?
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What aspect of a developed nation's economy is mentioned as dependent on software?
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Why is software engineering described as concerned with cost-effective development?
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What is one of the issues related to professional responsibility according to the text?
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Which aspect of ethical practice involves protecting the intellectual property of employers and clients?
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What do members of professional societies in the US agree to follow when they join?
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What is a key aspect of the ACM/IEEE Code of Ethics?
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Why should engineers be cautious about accepting work outwith their competence?
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What is a specific example of computer misuse mentioned in the text?
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What type of application systems run on a local computer and include all necessary functionality without needing a network connection?
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Which type of applications execute on a remote computer and are accessed by users from their own PCs or terminals?
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What type of software control systems manage and control hardware devices?
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Which type of application systems process data in large batches and handle large numbers of individual inputs?
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Why is it essential to be able to trust software according to the text?
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What determines the software engineering methods and tools used according to the text?
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What is the primary approach for constructing web-based systems?
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How are web services accessed?
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What is a key characteristic of cloud computing in terms of software usage?
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Why are user interfaces for web-based systems constrained?
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What is a recognized practice for developing and delivering web-based systems?
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How are fundamental principles of software engineering applied to web-based systems?
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What type of data do the instruments at the weather stations collect?
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What is the main responsibility of the weather station system?
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What does the data management system do?
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Which software manages the instruments' readings at the weather stations?
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What does the station maintenance system primarily do?
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Study Notes
Introduction to Software Engineering
- Software engineering is concerned with theories, methods, and tools for professional software development.
Importance of Software Engineering
- The economies of all developed nations are dependent on software.
- More and more systems are software-controlled.
- Expenditure on software represents a significant fraction of GNP in all developed countries.
Software Costs
- Software costs often dominate computer system costs.
- Software costs more to maintain than it does to develop.
- For systems with a long life, maintenance costs may be several times development costs.
Types of Software Products
- Generic products: Stand-alone systems marketed and sold to any customer (e.g., graphics programs, project management tools, CAD software).
- Customized products: Software commissioned by a specific customer to meet their own needs.
Professional Responsibility
- Engineers should not misrepresent their level of competence.
- Engineers should be aware of local laws governing intellectual property (patents, copyright, etc.).
- Software engineers should not use their technical skills to misuse other people’s computers.
ACM/IEEE Code of Ethics
- The professional societies in the US have cooperated to produce a code of ethical practice.
- Members sign up to the code of practice when they join.
- The Code contains eight Principles related to the behavior and decisions made by professional software engineers.
Rationale for the Code of Ethics
- Computers have a central and growing role in commerce, industry, government, medicine, education, entertainment, and society.
- Security and trust are essential as software is intertwined with all aspects of our lives.
Software Engineering Diversity
- There are many different types of software systems, and there is no universal set of software techniques applicable to all.
- Software engineering methods and tools depend on the type of application, customer requirements, and development team background.
Application Types
- Stand-alone applications: Run on a local computer, include all necessary functionality, and do not need to be connected to a network.
- Interactive transaction-based applications: Execute on a remote computer, accessed by users from their own PCs or terminals (e.g., web applications).
- Embedded control systems: Software control systems that control and manage hardware devices.
- Batch processing systems: Designed to process data in large batches, process large numbers of individual inputs to create corresponding outputs.
- Web services (Chapter 19): Allow application functionality to be accessed over the web.
- Cloud computing: An approach to the provision of computer services where applications run remotely, and users pay according to use.
Web Software Engineering
- Software reuse is the dominant approach for constructing web-based systems.
- Systems should be developed and delivered incrementally.
- User interfaces are constrained by web browser capabilities.
Case Study: Wilderness Weather Station
- The government of a country with large areas of wilderness decides to deploy several hundred weather stations in remote areas.
- Weather stations collect data from instruments that measure temperature, pressure, sunshine, rainfall, wind speed, and wind direction.
- The system consists of a weather station system, a data management and archiving system, and a station maintenance system.
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Description
Test your knowledge on the introduction to software engineering, professional software development, software engineering ethics, and case studies. Explore topics like the importance of software in developed nations and the increasing role of software in different systems.
