Chapter 1

 Software & Software Engineering

Slide Set to accompany
Software Engineering: A Practitioner’s Approach, 7/e
by Roger S. Pressman

Slides copyright © 1996, 2001, 2005, 2009 by Roger S. Pressman

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May be reproduced ONLY for student use at the university level when used in conjunction
with Software Engineering: A Practitioner's Approach, 7/e. Any other reproduction or use is
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What is Software?
Software is:
(1) instructions (computer programs) that when
executed provide desired features, function, and
performance;
(2) data structures that enable the programs to
adequately manipulate information and
(3) documentation that describes the operation and
use of the programs.

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What is Software?
 Software is developed or engineered, it is not
manufactured in the classical sense.
 Software doesn't "wear out".
 Although the industry is moving toward
component-based construction, most software
continues to be custom-built.

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Hardware vs. Software
Hardware Software

Manufactured Developed/engineered
 Wears out  Deteriorates
 Built using  Custom built
components  Complex
 Relatively
simple

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Wear vs. Deterioration
increased failure
rate due to side effects
Failure
rate

change
actual curve

idealized curve

Time

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Software products
 Generic products
 Stand-alone systems that are marketed and sold to
any customer who wishes to buy them.
 Examples – PC software such as editing, graphics
programs, project management tools; CAD
software; software for specific markets such as
appointments systems for dentists.
 Customized products
 Software that is commissioned by a specific
customer to meet their own needs.
 Examples – embedded control systems, air traffic
control software, traffic monitoring systems.

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Software Applications
 1. System software: such as compilers, editors, file
management utilities
 2. Application software: stand-alone programs for specific
needs.
 3. Engineering/scientific software: Characterized by
“number crunching”algorithms. such as automotive stress
analysis, molecular biology, orbital dynamics, etc.
 4. Embedded software resides within a product or
system. (key pad control of a microwave oven, digital
function of dashboard display in a car)

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Software Applications
 5. Product-line software focus on a limited marketplace to
address mass consumer market. (word processing,
graphics, database management)
 6. WebApps (Web applications) network centric software.
As web 2.0 emerges, more sophisticated computing
environments is supported integrated with remote
database and business applications.
 7. AI software uses non-numerical algorithm to solve
complex problem. Robotics, expert system, pattern
recognition game playing

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Software—New Categories
 Open world computing—pervasive, distributed
computing
 Ubiquitous computing—wireless networks
 Netsourcing—the Web as a computing engine
 Open source—”free” source code open to the
computing community (a blessing, but also a potential
curse!)
 Also … (see Chapter 31)
 Data mining
 Grid computing
 Cognitive machines
 Software for nanotechnologies
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Legacy Software
Why must it change?
 software must be adapted to meet the needs
of new computing environments or
technology.
 software must be enhanced to implement new
business requirements.
 software must be extended to make it
interoperable with other more modern
systems or databases.
 software must be re-architected to make it
viable within a network environment.

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Characteristics of WebApps - I
 Network intensiveness. A WebApp resides on a network and
must serve the needs of a diverse community of clients.
 Concurrency. A large number of users may access the
WebApp at one time.
 Unpredictable load. The number of users of the WebApp may
vary by orders of magnitude from day to day.
 Performance. If a WebApp user must wait too long (for
access, for server-side processing, for client-side formatting
and display), he or she may decide to go elsewhere.
 Availability. Although expectation of 100 percent availability is
unreasonable, users of popular WebApps often demand
access on a “24/7/365” basis.

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Characteristics of WebApps - II
 Data driven. The primary function of many WebApps is to use
hypermedia to present text, graphics, audio, and video content to
the end-user.
 Content sensitive. The quality and aesthetic nature of content
remains an important determinant of the quality of a WebApp.
 Continuous evolution. Unlike conventional application software
that evolves over a series of planned, chronologically-spaced
releases, Web applications evolve continuously.
 Immediacy. Although immediacy—the compelling need to get
software to market quickly—is a characteristic of many application
domains, WebApps often exhibit a time to market that can be a
matter of a few days or weeks.
 Security. Because WebApps are available via network access, it
is difficult, if not impossible, to limit the population of end-users
who may access the application.
 Aesthetics. An undeniable part of the appeal of a WebApp is its
look and feel.
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Software Engineering
 Some realities:
 a concerted effort should be made to understand the
problem before a software solution is developed
 design becomes a pivotal activity
 software should exhibit high quality
 software should be maintainable
 The seminal definition:
 [Software engineering is] the establishment and use of
sound engineering principles in order to obtain
economically software that is reliable and works efficiently
on real machines.

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Software Engineering
 The IEEE definition:
 Software Engineering: (1) The application of a systematic,
disciplined, quantifiable approach to the development,
operation, and maintenance of software; that is, the
application of engineering to software. (2) The study of
approaches as in (1).

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FAQ about software engineering
Question Answer

What is software? Computer programs, data structures and associated

documentation. Software products may be
developed for a particular customer or may be
developed for a general market.

What are the attributes of good Good software should deliver the required
software? functionality and performance to the user and should
be maintainable, dependable and usable.

What is software engineering? Software engineering is an engineering discipline

that is concerned with all aspects of software
production.
What is the difference between Computer science focuses on theory and
software engineering and computer fundamentals; software engineering is concerned
science? with the practicalities of developing and delivering
useful software.
What is the difference between System engineering is concerned with all aspects of
software engineering and system computer-based systems development including
engineering? hardware, software and process engineering.
Software engineering is part of this more general
process.

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Essential attributes of good
software
Product characteristic Description

Maintainability Software should be written in such a way so that it can evolve

to meet the changing needs of customers. This is a critical
attribute because software change is an inevitable requirement
of a changing business environment.
Dependability and Software dependability includes a range of characteristics
security including reliability, security and safety. Dependable software
should not cause physical or economic damage in the event of
system failure. Malicious users should not be able to access or
damage the system.

Efficiency Software should not make wasteful use of system resources

such as memory and processor cycles. Efficiency therefore
includes responsiveness, processing time, memory utilisation,
etc.
Acceptability Software must be acceptable to the type of users for which it is
designed. This means that it must be understandable, usable
and compatible with other systems that they use.

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 Software Engineering
A Layered Technology
tools

methods

process model

a “quality” focus
 Any engineering approach must rest on organizational commitment to quality which
fosters a continuous process improvement culture.
 Process layer as the foundation defines a framework with activities for effective
delivery of software engineering technology. Establish the context where products
(model, data, report, and forms) are produced, milestone are established, quality is
ensured and change is managed.
 Method provides technical how-to’s for building software. It encompasses many
tasks including communication, requirement analysis, design modeling, program
construction, testing and support.
 Tools provide automated or semi-automated support for the process and methods.
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