Software Engineering for Students A Programming Approach

26 Chapter 2 ■ The tasks of software development
detailed design, the code, annotation within the code (termed comments), test schedules,
test results and the project plan.
The documentation is typically large and costly (in people’s time) to produce. Also,
because it is additional to the product itself, there is a tendency to ignore it or skimp
on it.
Project management
Someone needs to create and maintain plans, resolve problems, allocate work to people
and check that it has been completed.
Database design
Many systems use a database to store information. Designing the database is a whole
subject in its own right and is not normally considered to be part of software engineering.
Consequently, we don’t tackle this topic within this book.
SELF-TEST QUESTION
2.1 Which stages of software development, if any, can be omitted if the
required software is only a small program?
We will see that, in dividing the work into a series of distinct activities, it may
appear that the work is carried out strictly in sequence. However, it is usual, particularly
on large projects, for many activities to take place in parallel. In particular, this
happens once the large-scale (or architectural) design is complete. It is at this stage
that the major software components have been identified. Work on developing the
components can now proceed in parallel, often undertaken by different individuals.
2.3 ● Process models
We have seen (Chapter 1) that software systems are often large and complex. There is
a clear need to be organized when embarking on a development. What do you need
when you set about a software project? You need:
■ a set of methods and tools
■ an overall plan or strategy.
The plan of action is known as a process model. It is a plan of what steps are going to
be taken as the development proceeds. This term is derived as follows: a process is a step
or a series of steps; a process model is a model in the sense that it is a representation of