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The Open University

Approaches to software development

The Open University via OpenLearn

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Overview

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This free course, Approaches to software development, presents an engineering approach to the development of software systems – a software engineering approach. The course pays particular attention to issues of software quality, in terms of both product (what is built) and process (how we build it).

Syllabus

  • Introduction
  • Learning outcomes
  • 1 Software and software engineering
  • 1 Software and software engineering
  • 1.1 What is a system?
  • Definition
  • Software systems
  • Viewpoints
  • System boundaries
  • 1.2 The nature of software
  • 1.3 Characteristics of a software system
  • 1.4 Maintainability and other software problems
  • Legacy systems
  • Unsuccessful software systems
  • 1.5 Divide and conquer?
  • Problem and solution
  • Modules and interfaces
  • Abstraction
  • Coupling and cohesion
  • 1.6 Architecture
  • Layers
  • Components
  • Services
  • 1.7 Summary of Section 1
  • 2 An introduction to software development
  • 2 An introduction to software development
  • 2.1 Software development as an engineering activity
  • 2.2 The role of development processes
  • Typical technical activities for the development of software
  • An overall process model
  • Agile development
  • 2.3 Choosing an appropriate process
  • Choosing the appropriate level of formality
  • Dealing with risk
  • 2.4 Traceability
  • Project notebook
  • 2.5 Summary of Section 2
  • 3 Modelling in software development
  • 3 Modelling in software development
  • 3.1 Importance of modelling
  • Agile modelling
  • A standard notation
  • 3.2 Models illustrate points of view
  • 3.3 Introducing the Unified Process
  • Views in the UP
  • Agile UP
  • 3.4 Activities and artefacts in the development process
  • Domain modelling
  • Requirements
  • Analysis
  • Design
  • Implementation
  • Testing
  • Deployment
  • 3.5 Summary of Section 3
  • Conclusion
  • References
  • Acknowledgements

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Reviews

5.0 rating, based on 1 Class Central review

4.5 rating at OpenLearn based on 13 ratings

Start your review of Approaches to software development

  • Profile image for Enrique Enriquez
    Enrique Enriquez @EEnriquez
    25
    This offering provides a robust intellectual foundation for the software engineering discipline. It thoughtfully examines the fundamental tension between the malleability of code and the rigorous processes required to master its complexity. The expl…
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