HNDIT4012-

Software
Engineering
Week 1: Introduction to Software Engineering
 Topics covered
• Professional software development
– What is meant by software engineering.
• Software engineering ethics
– A brief introduction to ethical issues that affect
software engineering.
• Case studies
– An introduction to three examples that are used in
later chapters in the book.

Extracted from Ian Sommerville 2011, Software Engineering, 9th edition. Chapter 1
 Software engineering
• The economies of ALL developed nations are
dependent on software.
• More and more systems are software controlled
• Software engineering is concerned with theories,
methods and tools for professional software
development.
• Expenditure on software represents a
significant fraction of GNP in all developed
countries.
Extracted from Ian Sommerville 2011, Software Engineering, 9th edition. Chapter 1
 Software costs
• Software costs often dominate computer system
costs. The costs of software on a PC are often
greater than the hardware cost.
• Software costs more to maintain than it does to
develop. For systems with a long life,
maintenance costs may be several times
development costs.
• Software engineering is concerned with cost-
effective software development.
Extracted from Ian Sommerville 2011, Software Engineering, 9th edition. Chapter 1
 Hardware vs Software

Extracted from Ian Sommerville 2011, Software Engineering, 9th edition. Chapter 1
 Hardware Cost

Extracted from Ian Sommerville 2011, Software Engineering, 9th edition. Chapter 1
 Software Failure Rate

Extracted from Ian Sommerville 2011, Software Engineering, 9th edition. Chapter 1
 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 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.
Extracted from Ian Sommerville 2011, Software Engineering, 9th edition. Chapter 1
Frequently asked questions about software
engineering
Question Answer
What are the key challenges facing Coping with increasing diversity, demands for reduced
software engineering? delivery times and developing trustworthy software.
What are the costs of software Roughly 60% of software costs are development costs,
engineering? 40% are testing costs. For custom software, evolution
costs often exceed development costs.
What are the best software engineering While all software projects have to be professionally
techniques and methods? managed and developed, different techniques are
appropriate for different types of system. For example,
games should always be developed using a series of
prototypes whereas safety critical control systems require
a complete and analyzable specification to be developed.
You can’t, therefore, say that one method is better than
another.
What differences has the web made to The web has led to the availability of software services
software engineering? and the possibility of developing highly distributed
service-based systems. Web-based systems
development has led to important advances in
programming languages and software reuse.

Extracted from Ian Sommerville 2011, Software Engineering, 9th edition. Chapter 1
 Frequently asked questions about software
engineering
Question Answer
What are the key challenges facing Coping with increasing diversity, demands for reduced
software engineering? delivery times and developing trustworthy software.
What are the costs of software Roughly 60% of software costs are development costs,
engineering? 40% are testing costs. For custom software, evolution
costs often exceed development costs.
What are the best software engineering While all software projects have to be professionally
techniques and methods? managed and developed, different techniques are
appropriate for different types of system. For example,
games should always be developed using a series of
prototypes whereas safety critical control systems require
a complete and analyzable specification to be developed.
You can’t, therefore, say that one method is better than
another.
What differences has the web made to The web has led to the availability of software services
software engineering? and the possibility of developing highly distributed
service-based systems. Web-based systems
development has led to important advances in
programming languages and software reuse.

Extracted from Ian Sommerville 2011, Software Engineering, 9th edition. Chapter 1
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.

Extracted from Ian Sommerville 2011, Software Engineering, 9th edition. Chapter 1
 Software engineering
• Software engineering is an engineering discipline that is
concerned with all aspects of software production from the
early stages of system specification through to maintaining
the system after it has gone into use.
• Engineering discipline
– Using appropriate theories and methods to solve problems
bearing in mind organizational and financial constraints.
• All aspects of software production
– Not just technical process of development. Also project
management and the development of tools, methods etc. to
support software production.
Extracted from Ian Sommerville 2011, Software Engineering, 9th edition. Chapter 1
 Importance of software engineering
• More and more, individuals and society rely on
advanced software systems. We need to be able to
produce reliable and trustworthy systems
economically and quickly.
• It is usually cheaper, in the long run, to use software
engineering methods and techniques for software
systems rather than just write the programs as if it was
a personal programming project. For most types of
system, the majority of costs are the costs of changing
the software after it has gone into use.
Extracted from Ian Sommerville 2011, Software Engineering, 9th edition. Chapter 1
 General issues that affect most software
• Heterogeneity
– Increasingly, systems are required to operate as distributed systems
across networks that include different types of computer and mobile
devices.
• Business and social change
– Business and society are changing incredibly quickly as emerging
economies develop and new technologies become available. They
need to be able to change their existing software and to rapidly
develop new software.
• Security and trust
– As software is intertwined with all aspects of our lives, it is essential
that we can trust that software.
Extracted from Ian Sommerville 2011, Software Engineering, 9th edition. Chapter 1
 Software engineering diversity
• There are many different types of software
system and there is no universal set of software
techniques that is applicable to all of these.
• The software engineering methods and tools
used depend on the type of application being
developed, the requirements of the customer
and the background of the development team.

Extracted from Ian Sommerville 2011, Software Engineering, 9th edition. Chapter 1
 Application types
• Stand-alone applications
– These are application systems that run on a local computer, such as
a PC. They include all necessary functionality and do not need to be
connected to a network.
• Interactive transaction-based applications
– Applications that execute on a remote computer and are accessed
by users from their own PCs or terminals. These include web
applications such as e-commerce applications.
• Embedded control systems
– These are software control systems that control and manage
hardware devices. Numerically, there are probably more embedded
systems than any other type of system.
Extracted from Ian Sommerville 2011, Software Engineering, 9th edition. Chapter 1
 Application types
• Batch processing systems
– These are business systems that are designed to process data
in large batches. They process large numbers of individual
inputs to create corresponding outputs.
• Entertainment systems
– These are systems that are primarily for personal use and
which are intended to entertain the user.
• Systems for modelling and simulation
– These are systems that are developed by scientists and
engineers to model physical processes or situations, which
include many, separate, interacting objects.
Extracted from Ian Sommerville 2011, Software Engineering, 9th edition. Chapter 1
 Application types
• Data collection systems
– These are systems that collect data from their
environment using a set of sensors and send that
data to other systems for processing.
• Systems of systems
– These are systems that are composed of a number
of other software systems.

Extracted from Ian Sommerville 2011, Software Engineering, 9th edition. Chapter 1
Software engineering and the web
• The Web is now a platform for running
application and organizations are increasingly
developing web-based systems rather than local
systems.
• Web services allow application functionality to be
accessed over the web.
• Cloud computing is an approach to the provision
of computer services where applications run
remotely on the ‘cloud’.
Extracted from Ian Sommerville 2011, Software Engineering, 9th edition. Chapter 1
 Web software engineering
• Software reuse is the dominant approach for constructing web-based
systems.
– When building these systems, you think about how you can assemble them
from pre-existing software components and systems.
• Web-based systems should be developed and delivered
incrementally.
– It is now generally recognized that it is impractical to specify all the
requirements for such systems in advance.
• User interfaces are constrained by the capabilities of web browsers.
– Technologies such as AJAX allow rich interfaces to be created within a web
browser but are still difficult to use. Web forms with local scripting are
more commonly used.

Extracted from Ian Sommerville 2011, Software Engineering, 9th edition. Chapter 1
 Software engineering ethics
• Software engineering involves wider
responsibilities than simply the application of
technical skills.
• Software engineers must behave in an honest and
ethically responsible way if they are to be
respected as professionals.
• Ethical behaviour is more than simply upholding
the law but involves following a set of principles
that are morally correct.
Extracted from Ian Sommerville 2011, Software Engineering, 9th edition. Chapter 1
Issues of professional responsibility
• Confidentiality
– Engineers should normally respect the
confidentiality of their employers or clients
irrespective of whether or not a formal
confidentiality agreement has been signed.
• Competence
– Engineers should not misrepresent their level of
competence. They should not knowingly accept
work which is outwith their competence.

Extracted from Ian Sommerville 2011, Software Engineering, 9th edition. Chapter 1
Issues of professional responsibility
• Intellectual property rights
– Engineers should be aware of local laws governing the use of
intellectual property such as patents, copyright, etc. They should be
careful to ensure that the intellectual property of employers and
clients is protected.
• Computer misuse
– Software engineers should not use their technical skills to misuse
other people’s computers. Computer misuse ranges from relatively
trivial (game playing on an employer’s machine, say) to extremely
serious (dissemination of viruses).

Extracted from Ian Sommerville 2011, Software Engineering, 9th edition. Chapter 1
 ACM/IEEE Code of Ethics
1. PUBLIC - Software engineers shall act consistently with the public interest.
2. CLIENT AND EMPLOYER - Software engineers shall act in a manner that is in the best interests of
their client and employer consistent with the public interest.
3. PRODUCT - Software engineers shall ensure that their products and related modifications meet
the highest professional standards possible.
4. JUDGMENT - Software engineers shall maintain integrity and independence in their professional
judgment.
5. MANAGEMENT - Software engineering managers and leaders shall subscribe to and promote an
ethical approach to the management of software development and maintenance.
6. PROFESSION - Software engineers shall advance the integrity and reputation of the profession
consistent with the public interest.
7. COLLEAGUES - Software engineers shall be fair to and supportive of their colleagues.
8. SELF - Software engineers shall participate in lifelong learning regarding the practice of their
profession and shall promote an ethical approach to the practice of the profession.

Extracted from Ian Sommerville 2011, Software Engineering, 9th edition. Chapter 1
 Case studies
• A personal insulin pump
– An embedded system in an insulin pump used by
diabetics to maintain blood glucose control.
• A mental health case patient management system
– A system used to maintain records of people receiving
care for mental health problems.
• A wilderness weather station
– A data collection system that collects data about
weather conditions in remote areas.
Extracted from Ian Sommerville 2011, Software Engineering, 9th edition. Chapter 1
 Insulin pump control system
• Collects data from a blood sugar sensor and calculates
the amount of insulin required to be injected.
• Calculation based on the rate of change of blood sugar
levels.
• Sends signals to a micro-pump to deliver the correct
dose of insulin.
• Safety-critical system as low blood sugars can lead to
brain malfunctioning, coma and death; high-blood sugar
levels have long-term consequences such as eye and
kidney damage.
Extracted from Ian Sommerville 2011, Software Engineering, 9th edition. Chapter 1
Insulin pump hardware architecture

Extracted from Ian Sommerville 2011, Software Engineering, 9th edition. Chapter 1
Activity model of the insulin pump

Extracted from Ian Sommerville 2011, Software Engineering, 9th edition. Chapter 1
 Key points
• Software engineering is an engineering discipline that is
concerned with all aspects of software production.
• Essential software product attributes are maintainability,
dependability and security, efficiency and acceptability.
• The high-level activities of specification, development,
validation and evolution are part of all software
processes.
• The fundamental notions of software engineering are
universally applicable to all types of system
development.
Extracted from Ian Sommerville 2011, Software Engineering, 9th edition. Chapter 1
 Key points
• There are many different types of system and
each requires appropriate software engineering
tools and techniques for their development.
• The fundamental ideas of software engineering
are applicable to all types of software system.
• Professional societies publish codes of conduct
which set out the standards of behaviour
expected of their members.

Extracted from Ian Sommerville 2011, Software Engineering, 9th edition. Chapter 1
 Reference
Ian Sommerville 2011, Software Engineering,
9th edition. Chapter 1,Chapter 2.