Progress Toward an Engineering Discipline of Software

Explore the evolution of software engineering as a discipline in this 54-minute conference talk from GOTO Amsterdam 2015. Delve into the characteristics of engineering, tracing the development of civil engineering through historical examples like the Ironbridge and Dee Bridge disaster. Examine the parallels between traditional engineering fields and software engineering, covering topics such as craft practices, production techniques, and the role of commerce in driving scientific progress. Investigate the maturation of software architecture, including foundations, basic research, and internal exploration. Analyze architectural styles, reasoning, and real-world case studies like the Toyota unintended acceleration incident. Consider the challenges of civilizing the electronic frontier and addressing the prevalence of casual developers in the field. Gain insights into the progress and future directions of software engineering as a formal discipline.