Software Engineering for Students A Programming Approach

28 Chapter 2 ■ The tasks of software development
2.5 ● Hacking
There is one notorious approach to software development, called hacking. There are
actually two types of hacker:
■ the malicious hacker who breaks into computer systems, often using the internet, to
commit fraud, to cause damage or simply for fun
■ the programmer hacker, who uses supreme skills, but no obvious method, to develop
software.
It is the second of these meanings that we will use in this book. Hacking is often disparaged
in software development circles because it appears to be out of control.
However, the display of skill also earns hackers praise. Hackers also obviously enjoy
what they do and relish their skills. We will return to the subject of hacking in the chapter
on open source development.
Summary
We have identified a list of tasks that are part of software development. All of them
must be carried out somehow during development.
A process model is a strategic plan for the complete process. Different process models
offer alternative suggestions as to exactly how and when tasks are carried out. As
we shall see, in some process models all of the stages are visible, while in other
process models some of the stages vanish or become part of some other stage.
A methodology is a complete (often proprietary) package of methods, tools and
notations.
Hacking is an approach to development that is highly skilled but ill-disciplined.
• Exercises
2.1 Discussion question on validation and verification: What do the following mean, what is
the difference between them, and which is better?
■ a program that works (but doesn’t meet the specification)
■ a program that meets the specification (but doesn’t work).
2.2 Discussion question on validation and verification: What do the following terms mean
and how do they relate to one another (if at all):
■ correctness
■ working properly