Software Engineering KAs and SCM Concepts

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Questions and Answers

What are the 10 knowledge areas (KAs) defined in the "Guide to the Software Engineering Body of Knowledge"?

The 10 knowledge areas (KAs) in the "Guide to the Software Engineering Body of Knowledge" are software requirements, software design, software construction, software testing, software maintenance, software configuration management, software engineering management, software engineering process, software engineering tools and methods, and software quality.

Explain the core purpose of software configuration management (SCM).

SCM aims to track and control changes made to software, ensuring that revisions are managed, baselines are established, and the consistency of software is maintained throughout its development and lifecycle.

Describe the relationship between software configuration management (SCM) and software quality assurance (SQA).

SCM and SQA are closely linked. SCM helps enhance the quality of software by ensuring that changes are properly documented, controlled, and audited, which supports the overall quality assurance process.

What is the fundamental question that SCM attempts to answer regarding software development?

The question SCM seeks to answer is "Somebody did something, how can one reproduce it?", essentially focusing on the ability to repeat a specific change or action in software development. Signup and view all the answers

How does revision control contribute to software configuration management?

Revision control, or version control, is a core component of SCM. It manages changes to files and code by tracking each revision, associating it with a timestamp and the person responsible, creating a clear history of modifications. Signup and view all the answers

In the context of SCM, what is the significance of establishing baselines?

Baselines in SCM refer to specific versions of the software that have been formally approved and serve as a point of reference for future development. They provide a stable foundation and ensure consistency during subsequent changes and releases. Signup and view all the answers

What role does software configuration management play in the software life cycle?

SCM is an integral part of the software life cycle, supporting various stages, including project management, development, maintenance, assurance activities, and customer interactions. It ensures that the software development process is well-managed, controlled, and efficient, ultimately benefiting all stakeholders. Signup and view all the answers

Explain why the concepts of configuration management are applicable to both hardware and software.

Configuration management principles are applicable to both hardware and software because they involve managing and controlling changes to components or systems. Whether it's tracking hardware revisions, managing software updates, or controlling configurations, the core idea of ensuring consistency, traceability, and reproducibility remains the same. Signup and view all the answers

What are the three key models that should be considered in the initial stages of a software development project?

The three key models are a usage model, an initial domain model, and an initial user interface model. Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary goal of initial architecture modeling?

The goal is to identify an architecture that has a high probability of success. Signup and view all the answers

What are the two key activities involved in the inner loop of test-driven development?

The two activities are adding a test and writing code to pass it. Signup and view all the answers

Explain the concept of 'revision' within version control systems, and describe how revisions are managed.

Revisions in version control systems represent different versions of a file or set of files over time. Each change made to a file results in a new revision. Revisions can be compared to identify changes, restored to an earlier state, and even merged to combine changes from different revisions, depending on file type. Signup and view all the answers

What are the four outer loops of Extreme Programming that are influenced by the test-driven development inner loop?

The four outer loops are Continuous Integration, Daily Deployment, Frequent Releases, and Steering Software Projects. Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of a 'commit' in version control?

A commit in version control is the process of saving the changes made in a local working copy to the shared repository. It marks a specific point in time where the current state of the files is recorded. Signup and view all the answers

Describe the five steps of the test-driven development cycle.

The steps are: 1. Add a test, 2. Run all tests and see if the new one fails, 3. Write some code, 4. Run the automated tests and see them succeed, and 5. Refactor. Signup and view all the answers

Describe the situation that leads to a 'conflict' in version control and how it is typically addressed.

A conflict occurs when multiple users make changes to the same file simultaneously, and the version control system cannot automatically merge their changes. Conflicts usually require manual intervention to resolve the discrepancies, such as deciding which changes to keep or merging them manually. Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of refactoring in the test-driven development cycle?

Refactoring aims to improve the code's structure, readability, and maintainability without altering its functionality. Signup and view all the answers

What is a 'tag' in version control, and what is its purpose?

A tag in version control is a marker placed on a specific revision or a set of revisions. It is used to mark important snapshots or milestones in the project's history, like releases or feature completions. Tags provide easily identifiable points in time for referencing a specific state of the project. Signup and view all the answers

Describe how a 'branch' is created and its significance in version control workflows.

A branch in version control creates a separate copy of the current file or set of files, allowing development to proceed independently from the main line of development called the 'trunk'. This allows for parallel development, experimentation with new features, or bug fixing without affecting the main version. When the branch work is complete, it can be merged back into the main trunk. Signup and view all the answers

What are the two levels at which software engineering can be examined?

The first level encompasses the technical and managerial activities within the software life cycle processes. The second is the meta-level, which is concerned with the definition, implementation, assessment, measurement, management, change, and improvement of the software life cycle processes themselves. Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary purpose of software engineering tools?

They are intended to assist the software life cycle processes, automate repetitive tasks, and reduce cognitive load, making software engineering more systematic. Signup and view all the answers

Briefly describe the main goal of software engineering methods.

Methods impose structure on software engineering activities, aiming to make it systematic and successful by providing notation, procedures for tasks, and guidelines for process and product checks. Signup and view all the answers

List at least three disciplines, other than software engineering, that contribute to the field.

Computer engineering, computer science, and management are just a few examples. Signup and view all the answers

What is the main focus of computer engineering, as defined by the Computing Curricula 2001 project?

Computer engineering encompasses the science and technology of designing, constructing, implementing, and maintaining software and hardware components of modern computing systems. Signup and view all the answers

Explain the definition of ergonomics, as described by ISO Technical Committee 159.

Ergonomics is the scientific discipline concerned with understanding human interactions within a system, and uses theories, principles, data, and methods to optimize human well-being and system performance. Signup and view all the answers

What are some common examples of software engineering tools?

Editors, compilers, interpreters, debuggers, QA Center Performance, QuickTest Professional (QTP), WebLoad Analyzer, Unified TestPro, and IBM Rational Tester are all examples. Signup and view all the answers

What is the basic idea behind Model Driven Development (MDD)?

MDD is a paradigm for writing and implementing computer programs quickly, effectively, and at minimal cost by creating extensive models before writing source code. Signup and view all the answers

Describe the main purpose of the Model Driven Architecture (MDA) standard.

MDA is a software design approach for the development of software systems, aiming to facilitate efficient and standardized creation. Signup and view all the answers

What is a 'Trunk' in a version control system?

It is the unique line of development that is not a branch. Signup and view all the answers

What does an 'Update' operation achieve in a version control system?

It merges changes from the repository into the local working copy. Signup and view all the answers

What is a 'Working Copy' within a version control system?

It is the local copy of files from a repository. Signup and view all the answers

Explain what 'Software Engineering' entails according to IEEE610.12-90.

It refers to the application of management activities such as planning, coordinating, measuring, monitoring, controlling, and reporting, to ensure that the development and maintenance of software is systematic, disciplined, and quantified. Signup and view all the answers

Why is it often challenging to balance creativity and discipline in software engineering?

Software development requires a blend of both, and maintaining this balance while managing client expectations and rapid technological change can be difficult. Signup and view all the answers

Name at least two key aspects that make software engineering a complex field compared to traditional engineering disciplines.

Software systems are often subject to evolving client requirements and rapid changes in technology, adding complexity compared to traditional engineering domains. Signup and view all the answers

What is one difficulty associated with using Test Driven Development?

It is difficult to use in situations where complete functional tests are required to determine success or failure. Signup and view all the answers

Describe one scenario where a Domain Specific Language might be beneficial.

Creating a Domain-Specific Language can be worthwhile if it allows specific types of problems or solutions to those problems to be expressed more clearly than pre-existing general purpose languages, and the type of problem in question appears often. Signup and view all the answers

Give one example of a commonly used Domain Specific Language and its application.

SQL is a commonly used DSL for relational database queries. Signup and view all the answers

What is one example of a tool used for visually representing Domain Specific Languages?

The text describes different tools used in the design and implementation of DSLs including visual diagramming languages and programmatic abstractions. The question asks for a single example of a tool used for visually representing DSLs, and the answer should refer to the specific examples mentioned in the text. Signup and view all the answers

What are two advantages of using Domain Specific Languages?

Two advantages of Domain Specific Languages are that domain experts can understand, validate, modify, and develop programs and that the code is self-documenting. Signup and view all the answers

Give one example of a general-purpose programming language mentioned in the text.

C or Java are examples of general-purpose programming languages. Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary benefit of Test Driven Development?

Test Driven Development promotes focusing on the task at hand by making the first goal to make a test pass. Signup and view all the answers

What is one type of tool used for generating parsers and code generators for Domain Specific Languages?

Metacompilers are used for generating parsers and code generators for Domain Specific Languages. Signup and view all the answers

What does the acronym SCM stand for, and how does it relate to the content discussed?

SCM stands for Software Configuration Management and it is discussed as a tool related to Revision Control. Signup and view all the answers

What are three of the challenges associated with using Domain-Specific Languages (DSLs)?

The challenges of using DSLs include: limited applicability, high cost of design, implementation, and maintenance, and the difficulty of balancing domain-specificity with general-purpose programming language constructs. Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of EMF (Eclipse Modeling Framework)?

EMF facilitates the creation of tools and applications based on structured models. It provides a Java framework and code-generation facility, enabling developers to manage model instances efficiently. Signup and view all the answers

What kinds of source code can EMF generate?

EMF can generate Java source code from XML schemas, UML class diagrams (using tools like Rational Rose), and annotated Java interfaces. Signup and view all the answers

What is the main purpose of the generated code in EMF?

The generated code enables developers to perform operations on model instances, such as creation, querying, updating, serialization, deserialization, validation, and change tracking. Signup and view all the answers

How can EMF help improve software development?

EMF streamlines model-based development by simplifying the creation and management of models. It promotes code reusability and enhances the efficiency of working with complex data structures. Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of the "Book" model mentioned in the document?

The "Book" model represents a basic data structure for storing information about books, including attributes like title, pages, and category. Signup and view all the answers

What are the three versions of Eclipse mentioned as being compatible with EMF?

Eclipse 3.7 (Indigo), Eclipse 4.5 (Mars), and Eclipse 4.6 (Eclipse Neon) are the versions of Eclipse listed as compatible with EMF. Signup and view all the answers

Why is creating a model using EMF useful in software development projects?

Creating a model allows developers to define the structure and relationships of data within a project. This clear representation facilitates communication and collaboration among team members, ensuring alignment with the project's goals. Signup and view all the answers

What is the suggested application of EMF within a software development project?

The suggested application involves creating a model with 2-3 classes relating to the project, generating the editor, and integrating this model into a new project component. Signup and view all the answers

What are the advantages of using model-driven development with EMF?

Model-driven development with EMF offers several advantages, including improved productivity, reduced maintenance costs, and enhanced code quality. It promotes a more structured and automated approach to software development. Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Revision

A specific version of a set of files after changes.

Commit (checkin)

The action of saving changes to a repository.