Exam 3 Flashcards by Ayat Alkhatib

What defines a software failure?

Deviation between actual and expected results due to defects.

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What percentage of projects fail according to the 2020 Chaos Report?

19%

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What is the typical number of defects in 1,000 lines of code?

5 to 15 defects

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Name two major system development methodologies.

Structured, Object-Oriented

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Why is software testing difficult?

Impossible to test all cases due to combinatorial explosion.

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What does “invisibility” in software mean?

Software is intangible, hard to visualize or communicate.

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What is the economic impact of bad software in the US?

Costs hundreds of billions per year.

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Example of “program as a product and system”?

ERP system, Microsoft Office

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What is the purpose of the SDLC?

The SDLC is a systematic process to plan, analyze, design, build, deliver, and maintain an information system that supports business needs.

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What is the first phase in the SDLC?

The first phase is the Project Initial Study (Planning), where the feasibility and objectives of the project are evaluated.

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What does system analysis focus on?

System analysis focuses on understanding the functionality the proposed system must provide to meet business requirements.

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What is modularity in system design?

Modularity refers to breaking a system into smaller, manageable modules or components.

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What is a Gantt Chart used for in project management?

A Gantt chart is used to represent the schedule of a project, showing tasks, their durations, and dependencies.

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What is the main output of the Project Initial Study?

Baseline Project Plan (BPP)

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What are the three key types of feasibility?

Technical, Economic, Operational

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What’s the purpose of a system request?

To justify the business value and request approval for a project

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What is a common tool used to review the BPP?

Walkthrough

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What does JAD stand for?

Joint Application Design

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What is a prototype?

A small-scale model of the system to gather user feedback

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Why avoid over-specification in requirements?

It limits flexibility and focuses on how, not what

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Give one intangible benefit of a system

Improved employee morale

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What is a methodology in systems analysis?

A systematic approach using principles and procedures to complete tasks.

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Name three foundational works in structured methodology.

Structured Analysis and System Specification – DeMarco
Structured System Analysis – Gane & Sarson
Structured Design – Yourdon & Constantine

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What is the purpose of system analysis?

To define functional requirements by breaking down the system into parts.

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What are the two major system models produced in system analysis?

Process model (DFD) and Data model (ERD)

What does a data flow represent in a DFD?

The movement of data from one point to another (data in motion).

What symbol is used for a data store in Gane and Sarson notation?

Open-ended rectangle

Can two data stores be connected directly in a DFD?

No, they must connect through a process.

What’s the unique reference number of the Context Diagram’s process?

What does a Context DFD show?

A high-level overview of the entire system with one process, external entities, and data flows.

What is shown in a Level 0 DFD?

Major processes, data flows, data stores, and external entities.

What is vertical balancing?

The consistency between parent and child DFDs by including all data flows and entities from parent DFD.

What should each process in a DFD be labeled with?

A verb and a unique reference number (e.g., 1, 2.1).

When is a Level 1 DFD created?

When a process in Level 0 DFD is still too complex and needs further decomposition.

What is a primitive process?

A process that performs a single task and cannot be decomposed further.

How many child processes should each parent have ideally?

Between 5 and 9 (7 ± 2).

Are external entities shown in Level 1 DFD?

No, external entities are not shown beyond Level 0 DFD.

What is the purpose of Process Specification?

To describe exactly what happens in a process and reduce ambiguity.

Which technique uses keywords like IF, THEN, DO, and DISPLAY?

Structured English

When do you NOT create a Process Specification?

For physical I/O processes, simple validation, or prewritten code.

What does a decision table help avoid?

Contradictions, redundancies, and impossible situations.

What shapes represent actions and conditions in a decision tree?

Actions = Squares; Conditions = Circles

What is a primitive process in DFD terms?

A process that performs a single task and is not decomposed further.

What are the three control structures in Structured English?

Sequential, Decision, Iteration

What is the first step in developing a decision table?

Determine the number of conditions and possible actions.

What is a data model?

A graphical representation of entities and their relationships.

What does ERD stand for?

Entity-Relationship Diagram.

Who developed the ER Model?

Peter Chen in 1976.

What is an entity?

A person, object, event, or concept important to the business.

What is an attribute?

A named property of an entity.

What is a UID?

Unique Identifier – uniquely identifies each instance of an entity.

What is cardinality?

Specifies how many instances of one entity relate to another.

When do we use an associative entity?

To resolve a many-to-many relationship.

What is a unary relationship?

A relationship where an entity is related to itself.

What does SDLC stand for?

System Development Life Cycle

What is the first phase of SDLC?

Project Initiation

What is the output of the system design phase?

Technical specifications for implementation

What is a relation in relational databases?

A two-dimensional table

Define attribute in relational terms.

A column in a table

What is a tuple?

A row in a table

What is a primary key?

A unique identifier for a row

What is the role of foreign keys?

To reference a primary key in another table

Can a primary key be NULL?

Who developed the relational model?

E.F. Codd

Name 3 types of data models.

Hierarchical, Network, Relational

What does SQL stand for?

Structured Query Language

What ensures entity integrity?

Primary keys must not be NULL

What is referential integrity?

Ensures foreign keys refer to valid primary keys

What model is the industry standard today?

Relational model

What is an ER model?

Conceptual data model using entities and relationships

What is mapping in database design?

Converting ER models to relational models

What is a unary relationship?

A relationship within the same entity

What’s an example of multi-valued attribute?

Languages spoken: English, Spanish, German

Can a table have multiple foreign keys?

Yes

What are the three main components of user interface design?

Input Design, Output Design, Dialogue Design.

Name two advantages of distributed computing architecture.

Improved performance and fault tolerance.

In a three-tier client/server architecture, what is the role of the application server?

It handles the business logic.

What is the primary goal of user interface design?

To facilitate efficient and accessible interaction between the user and the system.

Define Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA).

A design approach where services are provided to other components over a network, promoting modularity and reusability.

Object

Entity with identity, data (attributes), and behavior (methods)

Class

Blueprint for creating objects with shared structure/behavior

Encapsulation

Combining data and functions into one unit (object)

Inheritance

Subclass derives from superclass and inherits features

Reusability

Use of existing OO components in new systems

UML

Visual language for OO analysis/design

Structural Diagram

Shows static structure (e.g., Class Diagram)

Behavioral Diagram

Shows dynamic behavior (e.g., Use Case Diagram)

What is the goal of system analysis in OO?

To analyze and define the system’s functional and structural requirements.

What are the two main modeling techniques in OO system analysis?

Use Case Modeling (Functional) and Class Modeling (Structural).

What is a use case diagram?

A visual representation showing how actors interact with the system through use cases.

What is a use case description?

A detailed textual scenario showing the steps and variations of a user interaction.

What does an actor represent?

A person, group, or system that interacts with the system being developed.

What is a class model?

A structural model showing system classes and their relationships.

What does a class encapsulate?

Attributes (data) and behaviors (operations).

Name the 4 types of classes.

Entity, UI, Data Access, Control.

What relationship does “IS-A” represent in UML?

Generalization/Specialization.

What is multiplicity in class diagrams?

It defines how many objects of one class relate to another (e.g., 1..*, 0..1).

What is the purpose of CRC cards?

Identify class responsibilities and collaborating classes.

Give an example of a behavior for an Order class.

CalculateOrderTotal()

What is removed during noun list cleanup?

Synonyms, attributes, behaviors, printouts.

Exam 3 Flashcards

(101 cards)