The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to software engineering:
Software engineering – application of a systematic, disciplined, quantifiable approach to the development, operation, and maintenance of software; that is the application of engineering to software.
Technologies and practices
Skilled software engineers use technologies and practices from a variety of fields to improve their productivity in creating software and to improve the quality of the delivered product.
Software engineers build software (applications, operating systems, system software) that people use.
Applications influence software engineering by pressuring developers to solve problems in new ways. For example, consumer software emphasizes low cost, medical software emphasizes high quality, and Internet commerce software emphasizes rapid development.
Business softwareAccounting softwareAnalyticsData mining closely related to databaseDecision support systemsAirline reservationsBankingAutomated teller machinesCheque processingCredit cardsCommerceTradeAuctions (e.g. eBay)Reverse auctions (procurement)Bar code scannersCompilersParsersCompiler optimizationInterpretersLinkersLoadersCommunicationE-mailInstant messengersVOIPCalendars — scheduling and coordinatingContact managersComputer graphicsAnimationSpecial effects for video and filmEditingPost-processingCryptographyDatabases, support almost every fieldEmbedded systems Both software engineers and traditional engineers write software control systems for embedded products.Automotive softwareAvionics softwareHeating ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) softwareMedical device softwareTelephonyTelemetryEngineering All traditional engineering branches use software extensively. Engineers use spreadsheets, more than they ever used calculators. Engineers use custom software tools to design, analyze, and simulate their own projects, like bridges and power lines. These projects resemble software in many respects, because the work exists as electronic documents and goes through analysis, design, implementation, and testing phases. Software tools for engineers use the tenets of computer science; as well as the tenets of calculus, physics, and chemistry.Computer Aided Design (CAD)Electronic Design Automation (EDA)Numerical AnalysisSimulationFileFTPFile sharingFile synchronizationFinanceBond marketFutures marketStock marketGamesPokerMultiuser DungeonsVideo gamesInformation systems, support almost every fieldLIS Management of laboratory dataMIS Management of financial and personnel dataLogisticsSupply chain managementManufacturingComputer Aided Manufacturing (CAM)Distributed Control Systems (DCS)MusicMusic sequencersSound effectsMusic synthesisNetwork ManagementNetwork management systemElement Management SystemOperations Support SystemBusiness Support SystemsNetworks and InternetDomain Name SystemProtocolsRoutersOffice suitesWord processorsSpreadsheetsPresentationsOperating systemsEmbeddedGraphicalMultitaskingReal-timeRoboticsSignal processing, encoding and interpreting signalsImage processing, encoding and interpreting visual informationSpeech processingText recognitionHandwriting recognitionSimulation, supports almost every field.Engineering, A software simulation can be cheaper to build and more flexible to change than a physical engineering model.SciencesSciencesGenomicsTraffic ControlAir traffic controlShip traffic controlRoad traffic controlTrainingDrillSimulationTestingVisualization, supports almost every fieldArchitectureEngineeringSciencesVotingWorld wide webBrowsersServersMany technologies and practices are (mostly) confined to software engineering, though many of these are shared with computer science.
Object-oriented programmingAspect-oriented programmingFunctional decompositionStructured programmingRule-based programmingHierarchicalObjectRelationalSQL/XMLSQLMYSQLNoSQLGTK+ GIMP ToolkitwxWidgetsUltimate++Qt toolkitFLTKConfiguration management and source code managementCVSSubversionGitMercurialRCSGNU ArchLibreSource SynchronizerTeam Foundation ServerVisual Studio Team ServicesBuild toolsMakeRakeCabalAntCADESNantMavenFinal BuilderGradleTeam Foundation ServerVisual Studio Team ServicesVisual Build ProEditorsIntegrated development environments (IDEs)Text editorsWord processorsParser creation toolsYacc/BisonStatic code analysis toolsComponent-based software engineeringUnified Modeling Language (UML)Patterns, document many common programming and project management techniques
Anti-patternsPatternsProcesses and methodologies
AgileAgile software developmentCrystal ClearExtreme programmingLean software developmentRapid application development (RAD)Rational Unified ProcessScrum (in management)HeavyweightCleanroomISO/IEC 12207 — software life cycle processesISO 9000 and ISO 9001Process ModelsCMM and CMMI/SCAMPIISO 15504 (SPICE)MetamodelsISO/IEC 24744SPEMA platform combines computer hardware and an operating system. As platforms grow more powerful and less costly, applications and tools grow more widely available.
BREWCray supercomputersDEC minicomputersIBM mainframesLinux PCsClassic Mac OS and macOS PCsMicrosoft .NETPalm PDAsSun Microsystems SolarisWindows PCs (Wintel)Symbian OSCommunicationMethod engineeringPair programmingPerformance EngineeringProgramming productivityRefactoringSoftware inspections/Code reviewsSoftware reuseSystems integrationTeamworkDecision tablesFeatureUser storiesUse casesSkilled software engineers know a lot of computer science including what is possible and impossible, and what is easy and hard for software.
Algorithms, well-defined methods for solving specific problems.SearchingSortingParsingNumerical analysisCompiler theoryYacc/BisonData structures, well-defined methods for storing and retrieving data.ListsTreesHash tablesComputability, some problems cannot be solved at allList of unsolved problems in computer scienceHalting problemComplexity, some problems are solvable in principle, yet unsolvable in practiceNP completenessComputational complexity theoryFormal methodsProof of correctnessProgram synthesisAdaptive SystemsNeural NetworksEvolutionary AlgorithmsDiscrete mathematics is a key foundation of software engineering.
Number representationSet (computer science)BagsGraphsSequencesTreesGraph (data structure)LogicDeductionFirst-order logicHigher-order logicCombinatory logicInductionCombinatoricsOther
Domain knowledgeStatisticsDecision theoryType theoryDevelopment life cycle phaseRequirements gathering / analysisSoftware architectureComputer programmingTesting, detects bugsBlack box testingWhite box testingQuality assurance, ensures compliance with process.Product Life cycle phase and Project lifecycleInceptionFirst developmentMajor releaseMinor releaseBug fix releaseMaintenanceObsolescenceRelease development stage, near the end of a release cycleAlphaBetaGold master1.0; 2.0Software development lifecycleWaterfall model — Structured programming and Stepwise refinementSSADMSpiral model — Iterative developmentV-modelAgile software developmentDSDMChaos model — Chaos strategyDeliverables must be developed for many SE projects. Software engineers rarely make all of these deliverables themselves. They usually cooperate with the writers, trainers, installers, marketers, technical support people, and others who make many of these deliverables.
Application software — the softwareDatabase — schemas and data.Documentation, online and/or print, FAQ, Readme, release notes, Help, for each roleUserAdministratorManagerBuyerAdministration and Maintenance policy, what should be backed-up, checked, configured, ...InstallersMigrationUpgrade from previous installationsUpgrade from competitor's installationsTraining materials, for each roleUserAdministratorManagerBuyerSupport info for computer support groups.Marketing and sales materialsWhite papers, explain the technologies used in the applicationsOperationsUsersAdministratorsManagersBuyersDevelopmentAnalystsProgrammersTestersManagersBusinessConsulting — customization and installation of applicationsSalesMarketingLegal — contracts, intellectual property rightsPrivacy and Privacy engineeringSupport — helping customers use applicationsPersonnel — hiring and training qualified personnelFinance — funding new developmentAcademeEducatorsResearchersLeadershipCoachingCommunicationListeningMotivationVision, SEs are good at thisExample, everyone follows a good example bestHuman resource managementHiring, getting people into an organizationTrainingEvaluationProject managementGoal settingCustomer interaction (Rethink)EstimationRisk managementChange managementProcess managementSoftware development processesMetricsQuality programsMalcolm Baldrige National Quality AwardSix SigmaTotal Quality Management (TQM)Software engineering demographicsSoftware engineering economicsCCSEHistory of software engineeringSoftware engineering professionalismEthicsLicensingLegalIntellectual propertyConsumer protectionHistory of software engineering
Many people made important contributions to SE technologies, practices, or applications.
John Backus: Fortran, first optimizing compiler, BNFVic Basili: Experience factory.F.L. Bauer: Stack principle, popularized the term Software EngineeringKent Beck: Refactoring, extreme programming, pair programming, test-driven development.Tim Berners-Lee: World wide webBarry Boehm: SE economics, COCOMO, Spiral model.Grady Booch: Object-oriented design, UML.Fred Brooks: Managed System 360 and OS 360. Wrote The Mythical Man-Month and No Silver Bullet.Larry Constantine: Structured design, coupling, cohesionEdsger Dijkstra: Wrote Notes on Structured Programming, A Discipline of Programming and Go To Statement Considered Harmful, algorithms, formal methods, pedagogy.Michael Fagan: Software inspection.Tom Gilb: Software metrics, Software inspection, Evolutionary Delivery ("Evo").Grace Hopper: The first compiler (Mark 1), COBOL, Nanoseconds.Watts Humphrey: Capability Maturity Model, Personal Software Process, fellow of the Software Engineering Institute.Jean Ichbiah: AdaMichael A. Jackson: Jackson Structured Programming, Jackson System DevelopmentBill Joy: Berkeley Unix, vi, Java.Brian Kernighan: C and Unix.Donald Knuth: Wrote The Art of Computer Programming, TeX, algorithms, literate programmingBertrand Meyer: Design by Contract, Eiffel programming language.Peter G. Neumann: RISKS Digest, ACM Sigsoft.David Parnas: Module design, social responsibility, professionalism.David Pearson, Computer Scientist: Developed the ICL CADES software engineering system.Jef Raskin: Developed the original Macintosh GUI, authored The Humane InterfaceDennis Ritchie: C and Unix.Winston W. Royce: Waterfall model.Mary Shaw: Software architecture.Richard Stallman: Founder of the Free Software FoundationLinus Torvalds: Linux kernel, free software / open source development.Will Tracz: Reuse, ACM Software Engineering Notes.Gerald Weinberg: Wrote The Psychology of Computer Programming.Jeanette Wing: Formal specifications.Ed Yourdon: Structured programming, wrote The Decline and Fall of the American Programmer.See also
List of programmersList of computer scientistsList of software mogulsSoftware has played a role in many high-profile disasters.
Ariane 5 Flight 501Mars probeDenver International AirportTAURUS — UK share settlement system and dematerialised central share depository.Therac-25 — A radiation therapy machine responsible for six overdoses due to faulty software.Airbus A320 — The Airbus A320, while was controversial in software engineering circles, being the first civilian Fly-by-wire aircraft. In the Airbus flight control systems, the computer has the final say on all decisions, meaning the safety of passengers depends upon the accuracy of the software specification, and the competence of the engineering teams producing the (multiple, independent) software stacks. The Strasbourg A320 crash of Jan 21, 1992 is partially related to software in that poor user interface design was a contributing factor.Failure at Dharan — Patriot Missile clock issue.About Face: The Essentials of User Interface Design by Alan Cooper, about user interface design. ISBN 0-7645-2641-3The Capability Maturity Model by Watts Humphrey. Written for the Software Engineering Institute, emphasizing management and process. (See Managing the Software Process ISBN 0-201-18095-2)The Cathedral and the Bazaar by Eric Raymond about open source development.The Decline and Fall of the American Programmer by Ed Yourdon predicts the end of software development in the U.S. ISBN 0-13-191958-XDesign Patterns by Erich Gamma, Richard Helm, Ralph Johnson, and John Vlissides. ISBN 0-201-63361-2Extreme Programming Explained by Kent Beck ISBN 0-321-27865-8"Go To Statement Considered Harmful" by Edsger Dijkstra.Internet, Innovation and Open Source:Actors in the Network — First Monday article by Ilkka Tuomi (2000) sourceThe Mythical Man-Month by Fred Brooks, about project management. ISBN 0-201-83595-9Object-oriented Analysis and Design by Grady Booch. ISBN 0-8053-5340-2Peopleware by Tom DeMarco and Tim Lister. ISBN 0-932633-43-9The pragmatic engineer versus the scientific designer by E. W. Dijkstra [1]Principles of Software Engineering Management by Tom Gilb about evolutionary processes. ISBN 0-201-19246-2The Psychology of Computer Programming by Gerald Weinberg. Written as an independent consultant, partly about his years at IBM. ISBN 0-932633-42-0Refactoring: Improving the Design of Existing Code by Martin Fowler, Kent Beck, John Brant, William Opdyke, and Don Roberts. ISBN 0-201-48567-2The Pragmatic Programmer: from journeyman to master by Andrew Hunt, and David Thomas. ISBN 0-201-61622-XSee also:
Important publications in software engineering in CS.In Arabic, software engineering is called handast albrmjeyat (هندسة البرمجيات).In Catalan, software engineering is called enginyeria del software.In Chinese, software engineering is called ruǎnjiàn gōngchéng(软件工程)In Danish, software engineering is called Software ingeniør.In Dutch, software engineering is called Software ontwikkeling.In French, software engineering is called Génie logiciel.In Persian, software engineering is called Mohandesi-e Narm Afzar (مهندسی نرم افزار).In German, software engineering is called Softwaretechnik.In Hebrew, software engineering is called הנדסת תוכנה.In Icelandic, software engineering is called Hugbúnaðarverkfræði.In Italian, software engineering is called Ingegneria del software,In Korean, software engineering is called 소프트웨어 공학,In Malay, software engineering is called Kejuruteraan Perisian.In Norwegian, software engineering is called Programvareutvikling.In Polish, software engineering is called Inżynieria oprogramowania.In Portuguese, software engineering is called Engenharia de software,In Spanish, software engineering is called Ingeniería de software,In Turkish, software engineering is called yazılım mühendisliği.In Urdu, software engineering is called سافٹ ویئر انجینئرنگ.In Greek, software engineering is called τεχνολογία λογισμικού.Computer ScienceInformation technologyTraditional engineeringComputer engineeringElectrical engineeringSoftware engineeringDomain engineeringInformation engineeringKnowledge engineeringUser interface engineeringWeb engineeringArts and SciencesMathematicsComputer scienceInformation scienceApplication softwareInformation systemsProgrammingSystems Engineering