COM1001 Introduction to Software Engineering

This module introduces the Software Engineering concepts that are needed to develop software systems that can meet basic functional requirements within a given problem domain. It covers the main steps in the process of developing such systems, from requirements analysis through to their implementation and testing.

A major part of the module involves students working in teams to develop a web-based software system, which gives practical experience in teamwork and managing software projects and their products.

• Blackboard quiz, individual assignment, extensive group project.
• The module has the explicit objective of developing group teamwork skills. Participation in teamwork is mandatory, and absence will result in loss of marks and eventually loss of credits.
• The group teamwork project cannot be repeated within the academic year. Failure will normally result in you repeating the year.

• Blackboard
• Unconfirmed practical marks when available

The aims of this module are to develop in candidates:

• an understanding of the software development business, how it typically functions and how it is typically organised, and the legal and ethical environment in which it operates;
• an understanding of basic software engineering methodologies and software project management;
• an understanding of software engineering processes, including requirements capture, development, testing and maintenance, and the ability to carry out these processes as part of a team.

By the end of the unit, a candidate will be able to:

• Explain the basic principles of software engineering, the software business, and the legal and ethical issues involved;
• Gather and formalise requirements in terms of user stories for a website software system;
• Implement a basic data handling software system;
• Work as part of a team, developing a basic data-driven website software system, according to a set of requirements through the iterations of an agile methodology, using appropriate (open source and non-open source) tools;
• Develop and execute test scripts, employ test automation, and assess test results;
• Perform basic maintenance tasks on a software system, e.g. make bug fixes, apply basic refactorings etc.

Semester 1:

• Introduction (What Software Engineering is, course structure)
• Software lifecycle (Processes, Agile)
• Project management (Projects, processes, people, products)
• Software configuration management (Version and change control)
• Requirements engineering
• Metrics and estimation
• Legal and ethics, CPD and professional body membership
• Basic programing in Ruby

Semester 2:

• Software architectures and the web
• Engineering a data-driven website
• Designing and incorporating a database into a software system
• Software testing
  
• Software maintenance

For the software project, feedback takes multiple forms: from the "client" for whom students will be building the system; through team supervision meetings (semester 2 only); through help given by demonstrators and lecturers at lab classes; comments given on marked assignments, and more general class feedback given in lectures.