Specific Instructional Objectives
At the end of this lesson the student will be able to:
• Identify the scope and necessity of software engineering.
• Identify the causes of and solutions for software crisis.
• Differentiate a piece of program from a software product.
Scope and necessity of software engineering
Software engineering is an engineering approach for software development. We
can alternatively view it as a systematic collection of past experience. The
experience is arranged in the form of methodologies and guidelines. A small
program can be written without using software engineering principles. But if one
wants to develop a large software product, then software engineering principles
are indispensable to achieve a good quality software cost effectively. These
definitions can be elaborated with the help of a building construction analogy.
Suppose you have a friend who asked you to build a small wall as shown in fig.
1.1. You would be able to do that using your common sense. You will get building
materials like bricks; cement etc. and you will then build the wall.
Fig. 1.1: A Small Wall
But what would happen if the same friend asked you to build a large multistoried
building as shown in fig. 1.2?
Fig. 1.2: A Multistoried Building
You don’t have a very good idea about building such a huSpecific Instructional Objectives
At the end of this lesson the student will be able to:
• Identify the scope and necessity of software engineering.
• Identify the causes of and solutions for software crisis.
• Differentiate a piece of program from a software product.
Scope and necessity of software engineering
Software engineering is an engineering approach for software development. We
