Software Engineering Unit 1 Quiz

Software Myths and Reality

• Software myths often assert that "more programmers lead to faster completion," but this can lead to communication overhead and inefficiencies.
• Another common myth is "the customer doesn't need to see the software until it is finished," which ignores the importance of customer feedback throughout development.

Evolving Role of Software

• The role of software has transitioned from mere automation of tasks to being a core aspect of business innovation and competitive advantage.
• Software now encompasses mobile applications, cloud services, and IoT systems, affecting various industries.

Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI)

• CMMI is a process improvement framework designed to help organizations improve their processes.
• It consists of five maturity levels ranging from initial (ad hoc) processes to optimizing (continuous improvement).

Changing Nature of Software

• Software systems are increasingly dynamic, requiring frequent updates and adaptability to changing user needs.
• The demand for faster delivery using methodologies like Agile reflects shifts in market expectations.

Software Engineering as Layered Technology

• Software engineering is layered in nature, involving various levels of abstraction from bottom-level programming languages to high-level architecture.
• The process framework includes stages like requirements gathering, design, implementation, testing, and maintenance.

Waterfall Model

• The Waterfall model is a linear sequential process model that includes requirements definition, system and software design, implementation, integration, testing, and maintenance.
• Advantages: Simple, easy to understand, and appropriate for smaller projects with defined requirements.
• Disadvantages: Inflexibility to change and potential for late discovery of errors or requirement issues.

Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC)

• SDLC is a structured process that describes the stages of software development from initial feasibility analysis to maintenance and decommissioning.
• It ensures that software meets customer expectations and is delivered on time and within budget.

Spiral Model

• The Spiral model combines iterative development with systematic risk assessment, allowing for continual refinement based on stakeholder feedback.
• Requires careful planning and analysis of risks at each iteration to ensure project viability.

Agile Methodology

• Agile methodology is characterized by iterative development, where requirements and solutions evolve through collaboration between self-organizing cross-functional teams.
• Focuses on delivering small, working increments of software frequently, with strong emphasis on customer feedback.

Functional vs Non-Functional Requirements

• Functional requirements specify what the system should do (e.g., features and behaviors); non-functional requirements define system attributes such as performance, security, and usability.

Software Requirements Specification (SRS) Document

• An SRS document outlines system requirements clearly and concisely, including functional and non-functional requirements, use cases, and acceptance criteria.
• Provides a basis for validation and verification.

Requirements Engineering Process

• Involves gathering, analyzing, documenting, and managing requirements to ensure that the final product meets stakeholder needs.
• Includes elicitation, specification, validation, and management.

Requirements Discovery Techniques

• Techniques include interviews, surveys, workshops, and prototyping to gather complete and accurate requirements from stakeholders.

Requirement Engineering Definition

• Requirement Engineering is the process of defining, documenting, and maintaining requirements in the software development lifecycle.

User Requirements

• User requirements focus on the needs of end-users and consistently inform design and development, often documented in user-centered cases.

System Requirements Specification

• System Requirements Specification details both hardware and software requirements necessary for the system functionality.

Verification vs Validation

• Verification checks if the product is built correctly according to specifications; validation ensures the correct product is built that meets user expectations.

Types of Non-Functional Requirements

• Categories include performance, reliability, security, usability, and compliance, among others.

Requirement Validation

• Involves reviewing and testing the requirements to ensure they are feasible, relevant, and accurately reflect user needs.

Requirement Management

• Requirement Management encompasses the systematic tracking, recording, and control of changes to requirements throughout the project.

Characteristics of SRS

• Characteristics include clarity, correctness, completeness, and consistency to ensure an effective foundation for software development.

Feasibility Studies

• Feasibility studies assess the political, economic, technical, and operational viability of proposed software projects.

Design Engineering

• Design engineering focuses on translating user requirements into a workable software design, including objectives such as modularization, simplicity, and performance optimization.

Software Quality Attributes

• Key attributes include correctness, reliability, efficiency, maintainability, and usability.

Software Quality Guidelines

• Guidelines emphasize best practices to enhance the quality and reliability of software deliverables.

Design Concepts

• Design concepts encompass abstraction, encapsulation, modularity, and separation of concerns, which aid in managing complexity.

Architectural Styles

• Architectural styles outline patterns such as layered, microservices, event-driven, and client-server designs to structure software applications effectively.

Architectural Patterns

• Architectural patterns are established solutions to common design problems that help streamline development.

UML Basics

• UML (Unified Modeling Language) is a standard modeling language used to specify, visualize, and document software systems.
• Basic building blocks include actors, use cases, classes, and components with relationships like association, inheritance, and dependency.

UML Class Diagram Notation

• Class diagrams depict classes, attributes, methods, and relationships between classes, serving as a blueprint of the system architecture.

UML Diagrams

• There are nine UML diagram types, including use case, class, object, sequence, activity, and more, each serving specific purposes in modeling and design.

Software Testing Levels

• Four levels of testing strategies include unit testing, integration testing, system testing, and acceptance testing.

White Box Testing

• White Box Testing involves testing internal structures or workings of an application with methods like Basis Path testing, focusing on code execution paths.

Boundary Value Analysis & Equivalence Tests

• Boundary Value Analysis focuses on testing values at the edges of input ranges, whereas Equivalence Testing identifies representative values to reduce test cases.

Unit Testing and Integration Testing

• Unit Testing targets individual components for correctness, while Integration Testing examines the interactions and flow between integrated components.

Art of Debugging

• Debugging is a structured process to identify, analyse, and fix defects in software through systematic interventions.

Metrics for Software Quality

• Software quality metrics include defect density, customer satisfaction, and code complexity, serving to measure and ensure quality throughout development.

Alpha & Beta Testing

• Alpha Testing occurs in a controlled environment by internal teams, while Beta Testing involves user feedback in real-world scenarios to refine the product.

Cyclomatic Complexity

• Cyclomatic Complexity measures the complexity of a program, reflected by the number of linearly independent paths and assisting in gauging maintainability.

Need for Software Testing

• Software testing validates functionality, ensures quality, reduces defects, and minimizes risk of project failure by adhering to established principles and objectives.

Risk in Software Development

• Risks in software can range from project planning issues to technical challenges, requiring identification and management strategies throughout development.

Formal Technical Reviews (FTR)

• FTRs are structured meetings conducted to evaluate software artifacts and ensure quality, correctness, and adherence to standards.

RMMM (Risk Management, Mitigation, and Monitoring)

• RMMM involves identifying, assessing, and managing risks associated with software development to mitigate their impact.

Risk Projection Process

• Risk Projection assesses risks over time, estimating their likelihood and potential impact on project success.

Software Reviews

• Software reviews enhance product reliability by providing thorough evaluations and feedback during development stages.

ISO 9000 Quality Standards

• ISO 9000 standards establish guidelines for quality management systems, focusing on customer satisfaction and continuous improvement.

Software Quality Assurance (SQA)

• SQA encompasses planned and systematic activities to ensure software processes and products meet predefined quality standards.

Software Audits

• Software audits assess compliance with internal and external standards, ensuring that processes align with organizational objectives.

Risk Identification, Projection, and Refinement

• Risk Identification involves recognizing potential issues, Risk Projection estimates their impact, and Risk Refinement adjusts strategies to address them.

Factors Affecting Software Quality

• Software quality is influenced by requirements clarity, development methodologies, team expertise, testing rigor, and user involvement.

Test your knowledge on key concepts from Unit 1 of Software Engineering. This quiz covers topics like software myths, the evolving role of software, and the Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI). Additionally, it explores software engineering as a layered technology and discusses the waterfall model process.