CS 351: Software Engineering I

Fall 2008

Welcome to Software Engineering

Software Engineering is the discipline used to build robust, secure, reliable, usable, and maintainable software of any kind. It encompases both process and product. The term Software Engineering is credited to Brian Randell, and popularized by F. Bauer in the 1968 NATO Software Engineering conference. Software Engineering is not computer programming, but rather the practice of producing high quality software. Programming is but a part of this process. We will focus on learning the tools and techniques that are used in industry today. In this class we will cover various topics in Software Engineering. The motivation is to give you an introduction such that you may develop your skills further in the second class of this series.

My philosophy is that understanding the concepts in a non-stressful environment facilitates the ability to learn the material better. The student is expected to actively participate in class, and to ask questions.

Meeting Times

• Tuesday, Thursday 12:45 p.m. - 14:00 p.m. in EPS 103.

Textbook

• The Pragmatic Programmer, by A. Hunt and D. Thomas & Addison Wesley.
• Head First Design Patterns, by Freeman and Freeman & O'Reilly.

Grading

• Homework : 45%
• Class Participation : 5%
• Mid Term : 20%
• Final : 30%

Grading Policy

• The overall grade for the course will be curved.
• Homework and exams will be graded on a straight scale. No curve.
• If you come to class, read the assigned material, and complete your homework you should do fine in the course.
• Since I am grading 5% of the course on class participation, this will probably make your grade go up if you are borderline between grades.

Instructor

• Clem Izurieta EPS 356. 994-3720. Office hours are either when my door is open or Wednesday and Friday afternoons.
• Email : clemente.izurieta(AT)cs.montana.edu

Policy

• You are responsible for any announcements made in class.
• No late submissions are allowed unless an emergency occurs.
• Unless otherwise stated, all work must be done individually.
• Academic DISHONESTY will be dealt severely. This should never be a problem, however instances of cheating do occur. There are web sites in the Internet that provide answers to high bidders. I do monitor these sites. If you do not know how to solve a problem, come see me!
• You are expected to attend class.

Course Outcomes

• Understand project lifecycles and management basics.
• Understand design patterns and be able to identify when to use them.
• Understand the basics of formal methods.
• Have a broad sense of the topics involved in Software Engineering.
• Understand basic measurements and metrics used in Software Engineering.