Software Development: Software Development Process

Question 1

Explain why the Software Development Process is an ‘Iterative Process’

Answer 1

• It is described as an iterative process because stages in the process may be revisited as a result of information gained in later stages
• This means that the solution will be constantly be redefined until perfected

Question 2

What is the ‘Software Specification’ document?

Answer 2

It is a formal specification of the scope and boundaries of a piece of software, and forms parti of a legally binding contract between the client and the development team

Question 3

What are 2 purposes of the ‘Software Specification’ document

Answer 3

• To act as part of a legally binding contract between the client and the developers
• To identify scope and boundaries of problem so that the problem can be contained

Question 4

What are the 7 stages of the Software Development process

Answer 4

• Analysis
• Design
• Implementation
• Testing
• Documentation
• Evaluation
• Maintenance

Question 5

Explain fully the Analysis stage, including purpose, personnel and documentation

Answer 5

Purpose
• To define the extent of the software task to be carried out

Personnel
• Client and systems analyst

Documentation
• Software specification

Question 6

Describe and explain 2 techniques used during the analysis stage

Answer 6

• Interviewing, which involves asking employers and employees being asked what is needed in the software
• Inspection of Existing Documentation, which involves looking over existing documents to understand how data is currently collected by the clients

Question 7

Explain fully the Design stage, including purpose, personnel and documentation

Answer 7

Purpose
• To design a method of solving the clients problem

Personnel
• Project manager and systems analyst

Documentation
• Algorithm

Question 8

Describe 3 features that make a good GUI

Answer 8

• There should be consistency in layouts of menus, layouts and text
• It should be possible to reverse action, such as using an UNDO button
• Commands should be indicated with simple verbs and not large amounts of text

Question 9

What is stepwise refinement?

Answer 9

This is the process of repeatedly breaking down larger difficult problems step by step into smaller, easier-to-solve problems

Question 10

What is top down design?

Answer 10

Breaking down a problem into sub problems

Question 11

What is bottom up design?

Answer 11

Using solved sub problems to put together, making one big solution to a problem using these sub problems

Question 12

What is pseudocode?

Answer 12

Pseudocode is a detailed outline of a program written in English to help a programmer understand problems and sub problems

Question 13

What are 2 features of using pseudocode?

Answer 13

• It describes the detailed logic of a program without having to bother about the details of how it is going t be implemented in the chosen programming language
• It shows the stepwise refinement of the problem in levels of decomposition

Question 14

What does the following icon represent in a structure diagram? DIAGRAM

Answer 14

A module requiring further refinement

Question 15

What does the following icon represent in a structure diagram? DIAGRAM

Answer 15

Repetition

Question 16

What does the following icon represent in a structure diagram? DIAGRAM

Answer 16

Selection

Question 17

What does the following icon represent in a structure diagram? DIAGRAM

Answer 17

A module requiring no further refinement

Question 18

Explain fully the Implementation stage, including purpose, personnel and documentation

Answer 18

Purpose
• To write code in a chosen programming language

Personnel
• Programmer and Project Manager

Documentation
• Program code

Question 19

3 ways that program code can be improved to build a solution to a problem

Answer 19

• Use internal commentary to explain functions of code throughout the program
• Use meaningful variable names
• Make the program modular, by breaking down the program into procedures and functions

Question 20

2 factors you should consider when choosing a programming language

Answer 20

• The type of data the language has to support, e.g. floating point numbers or images
• The arithmetical and logical operations required, e.g. string operations and substrings

Question 21

Explain fully the Testing stage, including purpose, personnel and documentation

Answer 21

Purpose
• To test that a program matches its specification

Personnel
• Independent Test Group

Documentation
• Sets of test data and reports

Question 22

What is a syntax error?

Answer 22

This is when there is a mistake in the grammar of a programming language, which is reported by the translator

Question 23

What is a run-time error?

Answer 23

These are errors that aren’t detected by a translator, but is discovered when the program is run, often by crashing the program

Question 24

What is a logic error?

Answer 24

This is when a program gives incorrect results, despite having correct syntax and no run-time errors.

Question 25

Name and describe 2 ways you could locate and remove errors

Answer 25

* A structured walkthrough, which involves following through the logic of the instructions line by line using a structured listing of the code * A dry run, which involves stepping through the program instructions and manually working out on paper how the program variables are updated

Question 26

What is systematic testing?

Answer 26

This involves a progression through testing subroutines to testing the whole system

Question 27

What is comprehensive testing?

Answer 27

This involves choosing test data to test that the software can cope with as many cases as possible, including normal, extreme(boundary) and exceptional data

Question 28

2 reasons why an Independent Test Group is used

Answer 28

* The group will test the program without bias and no expectation of a certain output * The group will not sign off the project just to make a deadline

Question 29

Explain fully the Documentation stage, including purpose, personnel and documentation

Answer 29

Purpose • To produce documentation to be distributed within the software Personnel • Client, Systems Analyst and Programmer Documentation • User guide and technical guide

Question 30

What is a user guide?

Answer 30

A document to teach the users how to use the feature of the software

Question 31

What is a technical guide?

Answer 31

A document to help technical staff to maintain software, and includes things such as software installation and memory and storage requirements

Question 32

Explain fully the Evaluation stage, including purpose, personnel and documentation

Answer 32

Purpose • To report upon the quality of the software according to given criteria Personnel • Any Documentation • Project evaluation report

Question 33

What is meant by 'robustness'?

Answer 33

The ability of software to cope with errors during running

Question 34

What is meant by 'reliability'?

Answer 34

How well software operates without stopping due to design faults

Question 35

What is meant by 'efficiency'?

Answer 35

How much memory and processor time software uses

Question 36

What is meant by 'portability'?

Answer 36

The ability of software to run on a system other than the one it was designed for

Question 37

What is meant by 'maintainability'?

Answer 37

The ease with which changes can be made to software, and is determined by factors such as readability and modularity

Question 38

Explain fully the Maintenance stage, including purpose, personnel and documentation

Answer 38

Purpose • To make changes to the software after the product is handed over to the client Personnel • Programmer and Client Documentation • Maintenance report

Question 39

What are the 3 categories of maintenance?

Answer 39

* Corrective maintenance * Adaptive maintenance * Perfective maintenance

Question 40

What is corrective maintenance?

Answer 40

Corrective maintenance involves removing errors in the software that were not detected during development

Question 41

What is adaptive maintenance?

Answer 41

Adaptive maintenance involves adapting to new hardware as it improves over time

Question 42

What is perfective maintenance?

Answer 42

Perfective maintenance involves adding enhancements to the software from request by the client to modify the programs function

Question 43

Name and describe 2 factors that affect maintenance

Answer 43

* Staff mobility, as people change jobs constantly so those who worked on a program may leave * Poor documentation, as modifying a program requires detailed documentation of how a program was developed and it's previous features

Question 44

What is the purpose of data flow?

Answer 44

To identify which variables will be passed as parameters

Question 45

Explain how could you make a program more efficient?(2)

Answer 45

Don't include any unecessary code in the program, so that the processor is not required to carry out unecessary commands