Methods of Software Development : Fall 1999

Lectures

Class will meet Tuesday & Thursday, 6:30-8:00 pm, in Wean Hall 5403.

Objectives

1. The student shall know the fundamental principles of software design.
2. The student shall know at least three methods of requirements analysis and representation.
3. The student shall understand application of the UML and Cleanroom as software development methods.
4. The student shall be able to evaluate the quality of a software development method in light of how well it applies fundamental principles.
5. The student shall be able to evaluate the use of methods on a specific project.

Course Overview

This is not a course on any one method, nor does it teach you all you need to know to use any method we will discuss. The key objective of this course is to discover the fundamental principles that guide all good methods and to recognize them in action in applying a method. Our intention is to practice the skills needed to evaluate the quality of methods and to learn to use methods properly throughout your career.

The course organization leans towards seminar style. The emphasis will be on discussion and interpretation of various materials. Therefore, all reading assignments are to be done in advance. The study questions are used to guide your reading, and you should be prepared to discuss any of them in class. The texts are [Jacobson+99] and [Jackson95b]; the other readings are available for purchase from the program secretary in Wean 3205 and are on reserve in the Engineering and Science Library on the fourth floor of Wean Hall. Some copies are on closed reserve in the library; some are on overnight reserve.

A note on the Jackson book: This book is arranged as a lexicon (encyclopedia or dictionary) with each entry being self-contained. There are "tours" on page xii. Most of your readings will consist of one or more "tours" per class.