Software Engineering with Objects and Components 1

Here are links to the course home page and the formal TQA description.

Description

This course provides an introduction to the design and implementation of software systems using object oriented techniques. The techniques we consider are oriented to creating component based designs. The course will review basic object oriented techniques and how they support the creation of component based designs. We also consider the high level modelling of systems as a means of supporting the Software Engineering process. Here we study the Unified Modelling Language (UML), which provides programming language independent notations for design.

Context.

the following prerequisites are covered in CS2: Basic knowledge of Software Engineering and Object-Orientation concepts; Java programming.

The Software Engineering process.

We briefly consider how taking objects and components as a central organising theme influences the Software Engineering process. A number of case studies of ``classic'' software-related failures will be used as illustrative examples throughout the course. We also briefly consider the arguments for and against insisting upon any specific approach to Software Engineering, and those for and against object orientation in particular.

• SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS:
  • Requirements analysis
  • Specification
  • Validation
  • Static verification (ie, Testing; Formal verification is studied in the module Functional Programming and Specification)
  • Design and Implementation: including software architecture, and software integration techniques
  • Maintenance and evolution
• PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND PLANNING

Both the development process and project management and planning will be illustrated and utilised throughout the practical work

Elements of UML.

Here we outline the main phases of an object oriented development: analysis, design and implementation. Each of these phases is supported by various diagrammatic notations embodied in UML. We consider a small subset of the full collection.

• ANALYSIS: A brief introduction to the use-case diagram as a means of analysing the external behaviour of systems from various viewpoints.
• DESIGN: Here there are various diagrams aimed at capturing the static and dynamic structure of systems. We will study:
  • Class diagrams: these describe the static structural relationship between object classes.
  • Behaviour diagrams, these include:
    • state diagrams,
    • activity diagrams,
    • sequence diagrams,
    • collaboration diagrams.
• IMPLEMENTATION: We provide a brief overview of the implementation process, considering:
  • component diagrams, and
  • deployment diagrams

Assessed Coursework

Exercises, reports and student presentations taken as group work in the tutorials.

References:

*** Bennett, Skelton and Lunn UML, Schaum's Outline Series, McGraw-Hill, London, 2001. Access to this text is a necessity.

** Sommerville Software Engineering (5th Edition), Addison-Wesley.

** Various useful Web resources are given on the course homepage.