SE-2030 Software Engineering Tools and Practices Dr. Mark L. Hornick

Description     Syllabus     Policies     Quizzes     Lab info     Coding Standard     Grading

Revision History

This is where you check for news and information regarding recent additions (assignments, announcements, etc) to this site. The latest revision will be put at the bottom of the list.

10/1: Updated due date for WordCounter v1

9/24: Updated instructions for Lab 3

 9/9/2019: preliminary syllabus for fall 2019

Class Schedule

Note: Although lectures and labs are indicated on different days, we will invariably mix lecture and lab together across both days.

Lectures:
    Section 021: Tuesday - 10:00am to 11:50am in DH445
    Section 041: Tuesday - 1:00pm to 2:50pm in DH445

Labs:
    Section 021: Thursday - 10:00am to 11:50am in DH445
    Section 041: Thursday - 1:00pm to 2:50pm in DH323/DH445

As stated in my general course policies, attendance is mandatory for all lectures and labs. Email me when you foresee yourself to be absent. If you miss a lab, you will receive a 0 grade for that assignment. Be sure to read the entire document for all relevant policies that apply to this course.

Course Description

As a CE, CS, or SE major, you've previously taken CS or SE courses in computer programming and data structures. With this background, you have a basic understanding of how simple Java applications are constructed using Eclipse. But what kinds of tools are used to create "real" applications, and how do you use them together?

This course provides an introduction to the Software Engineering Tools and Practices - a look at a typical approach software engineers create applications in practice. Topics include requirements analysis, high-level design, detail-level design, UML modeling, code generation, application building, and revision management. Laboratory assignments provide an opportunity for students to develop an understanding of these tools and how how they are used in actual practice. 

Please consult the Course Catalog for detailed objectives.

Textbook

We have provided urls to various sources of information - both internal and external websites. The Reading Assignments contain the links to these sites. In addition to those, an SE2030 Wiki and and Enterprise Architect Wiki have been created for this course.

Software Tools

As implied by the course title, you will be introduced to and use several new software tools for design, implementation, building, testing, and version control. All of these application tools are free for education use. You can find links to the various applications' download sites throughout the syllabus below.

Enterprise Architect

You should already have a copy of Enterprise Architect (EA) on your laptop. The latest version on the Software Center is version 13, so you should upgrade to that version if you don't already have it. You need a software license key to run it, which you can also find under the "additonal information" link. Don't install more recent version of EA (that you might find on the web) since we don't have licenses for those.

Syllabus

Course policies

My general course policies apply to this course.

Quizzes

A quiz will be given approximately once per week as posted above. No make-up quizzes will be given.

Grading algorithm

Note that this algorithm indicates how a grade will be determined for students who have successfully demonstrated mastery of the course objectives. An acceptable level of success in meeting all course objectives is a prerequisite for a passing grade in the course.

Code Commenting and Documentation Standard

All source code submitted must use JavaDoc commenting conventions and meet the minimum documentation standards below:

• The name of the file.
• A short description of the purpose of the class contained in the file.
• The original author.

Each public class method should contain the following documentation:

• Explanatory notes regarding the overall usage of the method; that is, what the method does.
• The parameters passed in the formal argument
• What the method returns (if anything)
• Any sources other than the author (Web URL, fellow student, etc.) that aided in the design of the method (and what aid was provided).
• Explanatory notes regarding the internal workings and coding whose purpose is not immediately obvious to someone with your current level of programming knowledge

Private class methods do not have to be documented nearly as thoroughly (since the methods are only used within the class), although good practice would be to minimally comment any non-obvious code - for future maintenance by you or others.

About Labs

Note that the labs constitute a significant part of your overall grade - a reflection of their importance in this course. Plan to devote a considerable effort in order to complete these labs successfully and professionally.

The labs for SE2030 are fairly simple programming assignments such as what you have been used to in, say, SE1021. They are not particularly challenging from an algorithmic standpoint; rather, they permit you to focus on their primary objective; that is: to help you develop a familiarity with practices and tools used by in professional software development.

Even so, as you begin to develop an understanding of using these elements, you will still have to expend a reasonable effort as you practice using these tools. You should probably expect to spend additional time outside of class to complete the assignments for the labs.

This page was last updated on 11/14/2019.