Software Engineering Core Concepts
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Questions and Answers

What is a primary activity of software engineering when dealing with complexity?

  • Developing a fundamental theory
  • Creating a complete system model
  • Applying empirical methods exclusively
  • Focusing on relevant details (correct)

How do software engineers typically evaluate different alternatives during development?

  • By applying a sequential knowledge acquisition
  • By relying on random sampling
  • With empirical methods (correct)
  • Through theoretical analysis

What do software engineers need to capture alongside their knowledge acquisition?

  • User interface designs
  • Decision-making context and rationale (correct)
  • Statistical validity of software models
  • Cost analysis of software development

What must software engineers understand within their operating environment?

<p>Specific domain knowledge relevant to the system (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which analogy is made to describe the role of software engineers?

<p>Fossil biologists studying ancient life forms (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the nature of software engineering as described in the content?

<p>A modeling and problem-solving activity (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What underlies the decision-making process for software engineers?

<p>Rationale information and issue models (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which statement about knowledge acquisition in software engineering is true?

<p>Additional data can potentially invalidate previous models (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary goal of the object design phase?

<p>To define solution domain objects and optimize performance (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

During which phase are the attributes and methods of each object implemented?

<p>Implementation (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does unit testing primarily compare?

<p>The object design model with each object and subsystem (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a goal of the testing phase?

<p>To describe object and subsystem interfaces (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

At which point in the development process is system testing planned?

<p>During requirements elicitation and analysis (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is primarily produced during the implementation phase of software engineering?

<p>Executable representation of the solution model (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What best describes a deliverable in software engineering?

<p>An artifact produced for client delivery (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

During which review are the application domain model and the client's reality compared?

<p>Analysis review (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which activity is specifically focused on installing the system at an operational location?

<p>Delivery (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What distinguishes software engineering from problem-solving in other sciences?

<p>Change occurs in both application and solution domains during the process (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a part of the engineering method as described?

<p>Market research (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of management as an activity in software projects?

<p>To monitor and control the project outcomes (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does the term 'work product' refer to in software engineering?

<p>Any outcome of the development process (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary purpose of building a model of the application domain?

<p>To evaluate different solutions and trade-offs (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the main outcome of requirements elicitation?

<p>A description of the system in terms of actors and use cases. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which activity is NOT included in the six development activities of object-oriented software development?

<p>Quality assurance (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In the engineering method, what does the step 'analyze the problem' primarily involve?

<p>Understanding the requirements and constraints (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which phase focuses on producing a model that is correct, complete, consistent, and unambiguous?

<p>Analysis (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a defining characteristic of object-oriented methods in software engineering?

<p>They combine application domain and solution domain modeling (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary focus of system design?

<p>To produce a refined model including design goals and subsystem decomposition. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is typically the first step in the engineering method?

<p>Formulate the problem (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Actors in a system can include which of the following?

<p>External computers and the environment in which the system operates. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is produced during the analysis phase?

<p>A system model with annotated attributes and operations. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements about software engineering is true?

<p>It involves experimentation and reuse of pattern solutions. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How does system design differ from analysis?

<p>Analysis addresses the project at a high level while system design dives into implementation specifics. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What do the steps of requirements elicitation and analysis correspond to in the engineering method?

<p>Steps 1 and 2 (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What best describes the relationship between the application domain model and the solution domain model?

<p>The solution domain model is a transformation of the application domain model. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does a methodology in this context refer to?

<p>A collection of methods with usage specifications for problem-solving. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

During system design, which of the following aspects is NOT typically defined?

<p>User interface design elements. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes functional requirements?

<p>Specifications detailing features the system must support. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the main role of tasks in project planning?

<p>To serve as individual units of work for assignment and monitoring. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is an example of a nonfunctional requirement?

<p>The interface must provide feedback in less than one second. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a primary function of resources in a project?

<p>To provide equipment and labor necessary for tasks. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements about notations is true?

<p>Notations predate the development of software engineering. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best defines a method in software engineering?

<p>A repeatable technique to address a specific problem. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What distinguishes a task from a phase in project management?

<p>Tasks are atomic units of work, while phases represent broader activities. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is an example of a method used in software engineering?

<p>A recipe for baking a cake. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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Flashcards

Application Domain Modeling

Understanding the real-world problem that the software needs to solve.

Solution Domain Modeling

Understanding the technical solutions that can be implemented to address the problem.

Object-Oriented Methods

A way of modeling both the application domain and solution domain using objects and relationships.

Problem Formulation

The process of defining the problem to be solved by the software.

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Problem Analysis

Analyzing the problem in detail to understand its complexities and constraints.

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Solution Search

Finding potential solutions to address the problem.

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Solution Decision

Selecting the most appropriate solution based on factors like feasibility, cost, and efficiency.

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Solution Specification

Specifying the chosen solution in detail for implementation.

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Software engineering - Problem solving

Software engineering is a problem-solving activity that involves building many different models of the system and the application domain to find an acceptable solution.

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Software engineering - Managing Complexity

Software engineers use models to focus on relevant details and ignore irrelevant ones to manage complexity.

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Software engineering - Experimentation

Software engineering is an iterative process that involves experimentation to find the best solution.

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Software engineering - Constraints

Software engineers face constraints like budgets and deadlines, which require them to evaluate different alternatives efficiently.

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Software engineering - Knowledge Acquisition

Software engineers collect data, organize it into information, and then formalize it into knowledge to build models of the application domain.

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Software engineering - Rationale-Driven

Software engineers document the reasoning behind their decisions to enable future understanding and modifications.

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Software engineering - Environment Understanding

Software engineers need to understand the environment or context where the system will operate to create effective solutions.

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Software engineering - Domain Expertise

Software engineers only need to learn the relevant domain concepts, not becoming full-fledged experts in the field.

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Decomposition in system design

Breakdown of a problem into smaller, manageable parts during system design.

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Detail solutions in object design

Choosing specific solutions for each part of the system during object design.

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Solution domain model

A model of the system that combines both system and object design.

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Implementation in software engineering

The process of translating the solution domain model into a running system.

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Analysis review in software engineering

Evaluates the application domain model against the user's needs and expectations.

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Design review in software engineering

Evaluates the solution domain model against project objectives.

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Testing in software engineering

Validates the system by comparing it to the solution domain model.

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Work product in software engineering

An artifact produced during software development, such as documentation or code.

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Methodology

A collection of methods for solving a specific type of problem, including guidance on how and when to use each method.

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Requirements Elicitation

The process of identifying and understanding the needs and requirements of a system from its users.

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Actors

External entities that interact with a system, including users, other computers, and the environment.

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Use Cases

Sequences of events that describe all possible interactions between an actor and the system for a specific functionality.

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Analysis

The process of creating a detailed model of the system that is accurate, complete, consistent, and unambiguous.

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Object Model

A representation of the system using objects, their attributes, operations, and relationships.

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System Design

The process of defining the design goals, decomposing the system into subsystems, and selecting key strategies for implementation.

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Deployment Diagram

A diagram that shows how the system's components are mapped to hardware and software.

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What is the purpose of object design?

Object design bridges the gap between analysis model and hardware/software platform by defining objects and subsystems, selecting components, restructuring the object model for desired qualities like extensibility, and optimizing for performance.

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What happens during the implementation phase?

During implementation, developers translate the object design into source code. This involves implementing attributes and methods for each object and integrating them to function as one system.

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What is the goal of testing?

Testing aims to find differences between the system and its models by executing the system with sample data. Different levels of testing focus on different aspects of the system, from individual objects to the whole system.

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Explain integration and system testing.

Integration testing combines subsystems to check if they work together as intended, while system testing checks the entire system with various scenarios to ensure it meets the initial requirements.

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When is the planning for different test phases done?

Planning for different test levels happens throughout the development process. System tests are planned during requirements, integration tests during system design, and unit tests during object design.

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Task

A specific unit of work that can be assigned, tracked, and completed. It consumes resources, produces outputs, and may depend on other tasks.

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Requirement

A set of features that the system must have. These can be functional, specifying what the system does, or nonfunctional, specifying how the system works.

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Functional Requirement

A specification of a function that the system must support. For example, 'The user must be able to purchase tickets'.

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Nonfunctional Requirement

A constraint on the system's operation that is not directly related to a function. For example, 'The system should provide feedback in less than one second'.

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Notation

A graphical or textual set of rules used to represent a model. For example, UML is a notation for representing object-oriented models.

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Method

A repeatable technique for solving a specific problem. A recipe is a method for cooking, and a sorting algorithm is a method for ordering elements.

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Rationale Management

Used to justify changes made during the software development process. It provides a clear explanation for the reasons behind decisions.

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Study Notes

Software Engineering: Core Concepts

  • Software engineering is a modeling activity, focusing on relevant details while ignoring others.
  • Software engineers build various system and application domain models.
  • Software engineering is problem-solving, driven by experimentation and constrained by budget, deadlines, and lack of fundamental theory.
  • It's also a knowledge acquisition activity; data is collected, organized, formalized into knowledge, and models are developed. New data might invalidate existing models.
  • Rationale-driven activity: Engineers document the context of decisions, the rationale behind them, and represent this as issue models for decision making in future decision processes.
  • Software engineers model the real-world system and the relevant application domain
  • Tasks include modeling entities like real-world systems (e.g., a dinosaur or subatomic particles) as interdependent concepts in the application domain.
  • Engineers must understand system environments (e.g., train traffic control systems or stock trading systems) by focusing on relevant concepts and building corresponding models.

Software Engineering: Problem Solving

  • Engineering is a problem-solving activity, often involving trial-and-error, empirical evaluation, and limited resources.
  • The basic engineering method includes five steps: problem formulation, analyzing the problem, searching for solutions, selecting the appropriate solution, and specifying the solution.
  • Software engineering is not algorithmic; it involves experimentation, reuse, and incremental evolution to reach acceptable solutions.
  • Object-oriented software development has six core activities: requirements elicitation, analysis, system design, object design, implementation and testing.

Software Engineering: Models and Terminology

  • Notation: A set of rules for representing models (e.g., Roman alphabet for words, UML for object-oriented models, data flow diagrams).
  • Methods: Repeatable techniques to solve specific problems (e.g., cooking recipes, sorting algorithms).
  • Methodology: Collection of methods for solving a class of problems and indicating when to use each method.
  • Functional requirements: Describe system features (e.g., user purchasing tickets).
  • Non-functional requirements: Constraints on system operation, separate from functions (e.g., speed of feedback).

Software Engineering: Activities and Work Products

  • Activities: Sets of tasks towards specific goals (e.g., requirements elicitation, delivery).
  • Tasks: Atomic work units.
  • Deliverables: Work products intended for clients (specified in contracts before project start).
  • Internal work products: Used for internal project purposes.
  • Work products include documents and software.

Software Engineering: Development Phases

  • Analysis: Aiming to create a complete, consistent, unambiguous model that accurately describes the system and its components, from the user's perspective.
  • System design: Defining design goals, decomposing the system into smaller subsystems, selecting strategies for building the system (hardware/software platform, data management, control flow, access control, boundary conditions).
  • Object design: Bridging the gap between the analysis model and the software/hardware platform by precisely describing objects and their interfaces, utilizing off-the-shelf components, and optimizing the object model (extensibility, understandability, performance).
  • Implementation: Translating the solution domain model into source code, integrating components, and creating executable code.
  • Testing: Evaluating system correctness by comparing it to its models, using sample inputs (unit testing, integration testing, system testing). Testing helps uncover potential faults ahead of final delivery. Planning for test phases starts in parallel to other development phases.

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Description

Explore the foundational aspects of software engineering through this quiz. Understand how modeling, problem-solving, and knowledge acquisition play vital roles in developing effective software systems. Test your grasp on decision-making processes and the importance of context in engineering practices.

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