Scaling Up

A Research Agenda for Software Engineering

Editor: National Academies Press
ISBN: 9780309041317
eISBN Pdf: 9780309582230
Lloc de publicació: United States
Any de publicació digital: 1989
Mes: Gener
Pàgines: 101
Idioma: Anglés

Descripció

Large and growing opportunity costs are resulting from the inability to produce sophisticated, reliable software in a timely manner. Software engineering presents stubborn problems, but in this book, a group of experts suggest several constructive directions for research. Together, they support the need for greater interaction between researchers and practitioners and more aggressive efforts to share and reuse software engineering knowledge.

Scaling Up: A Research Agenda For Software Engineering
Copyright
Preface
Contents
1 Introduction and Summary
- AGENDA FOR SOFTWARE ENGINEERING RESEARCH
  - Directions for Change
  - Specific Short-and Long-Term Actions
    - Perspective
      - Portray the Software Development Process More Realistically
      - Study and Preserve Software Artifacts
      - Develop Unifying Models and Strengthen Mathematical and Scientific Foundations
    - Engineering Practice
      - Codify and Disseminate Software Engineering Knowledge
      - Nurture Collaboration Among System Developers and Between Developers and Users
    - Research Modes
      - Foster Practitioner and Researcher Interaction and Legitimize Academic Exploration of Large Software ...
      - Glean Insights from Behavioral and Managerial Science
      - Develop New Research Paradigms
- ORGANIZATION AND CONTENT OF THIS REPORT
2 Perspective
- SHORT-TERM ACTIONS
  - Portray Systems Realistically
    - View Systems as Systems, not as Collections of Parts
    - Recognize Change as Intrinsic in Large Systems
  - Study and Preserve Software Artifacts: Learn From Real Systems Past and Present
- LONG-TERM ACTIONS
  - Build a Unifying Model for Software System Development
    - Useful Outcomes
    - Research Implications
  - Strengthen the Mathematical and Scientific Foundations of Software Engineering
- NOTES
3 Engineering Practice
- SHORT-TERM ACTIONS
  - Codify Software Engineering Knowledge for Dissemination and Reuse
  - Develop Software Engineering Handbooks
- LONG-TERM ACTIONS
  - Automate Handbook Knowledge
  - Nurture Collaboration Among System Developers and Between Developers and Users
- NOTES
4 Research Modes
- SHORT-TERM ACTION: FOSTER PRACTITIONER AND RESEARCHER INTERACTIONS
- LONG-TERM ACTIONS
  - Legitimize Academic Exploration of Large Software Systems
  - Glean Insights from Behavioral and Managerial Sciences
  - Develop Additional Directions and Paradigms for Software Engineering Research
5 Conclusions
Bibliography
Appendixes
- Appendix A Workshop Participants
  - Staff
- Appendix B Position Statements
  - Frances E. Allen
  - David R. Barstow
  - Laszlo A. Belady
    - Worst Problem—Possible Solution
    - Industry/National Problem
  - Larry Bernstein
    - Worst Problem Facing Me in Software Productivity
    - Worst Problems Facing the Country in Software Productivity
      - Recommendation
      - On Design for Testability
      - On Certifying Quality
  - Richard B. Butler and Thomas A. Corbi
    - Program Understanding: Challenge for the 1990's
      - Abstract
      - Maturing Complex Systems
      - Approaches to Maturing Complex Systems
      - Understanding Programs: a Key Activity
      - Learning to Understand Programs
      - Directions
      - References
  - Richard B. Butler and Thomas A. Corbi
    - Japan: Nationally Coordinated R&D for the Information Industry
      - Abstract
      - MITI Goal Setting
      - Reducing to Practice Developments in the West
      - Computer Science Literacy
      - Directions
      - References
  - Susan L. Gerhart
    - Complexity, Multiple Paradigms, and Analysis
      - Observations on Complex Systems
      - My Worst Problems with Software
      - National Problems
        Software Engineering Education and Training
        More Computational Support for Software Production
      - Proposal: National Network-based Analysis Game
  - Barry M. Horowitz
  - Bruce B. Johnson
    - The Problem of Design
    - The Problems of Reuse and Integration
  - Anita Jones
  - Harlan D. Mills
    - Benefits of Rigorous Methods of Software Engineering in DoD Software Acquisitions
    - Appendix New Understandings in Software Testing The Power of Usage Testing over Coverage Testing
  - John B. Munson
    - Worst Problems with Current Software Production?
    - Most Critical Industrial/National Issue
    - Other Issues
  - Douglas T. Ross
    - Understanding The Key to Software
      - Conclusion
      - Plex
      - The Methodology
      - Modeling Anything
      - Scope and Relevance of Plex
      - Appendix: The meaning of any word
  - Winston Royce
  - Mary Shaw
    - Maybe Your Next Programming Language Shouldn't Be a Programming Language
      - Abstract
      - Software Needs Now Strain the Limits of Traditional Programming Languages
        Modern Application Needs Are Not Satisfied by Traditional Programming Languages
        Programming Languages Evolved in Response to Systems Programming Needs
        Current Research Activity Focuses on Incremental Improvements, Not on Major Changes
      - Non-Programmers Dominate Modern Computer Use
        Low Computing Costs Have Enabled a Wide Spectrum of Applications
        Even Users Who Are Not Programmers Need to Control Their Own Computations
        Order-of-Magnitude Increases in Service Require Substantial Shifts of Technology
        Computer Users Are Interested in Results, Not in Programming; Software Must Reflect This
      - Requirements for Large Complex Software Systems Exceed Production Ability
        Growth of Demand Is Greater Than Growth of Capacity
        System Requirements Exceed the Scope of Conventional Programming Languages
        Software Lacks a True Engineering Base
        Language Concepts Can Support a Design Level Above the Algorithm/Data Structure Level
        Programming Language Designers Must Look Beyond Traditional Areas
      - The Bottom Line
      - Acknowledgments
      - References
  - Charles Simonyi
    - My Worst Problem with Current Software Production
    - The Nation's Most Critical Problem with Current Software Production
  - William A. Wulf
    - The Worst Problem
    - The Basic Problem
    - What Should We Do?
  - Andres G. Zellweger
    - Introduction
    - My Most Serious Problem with Software Development
    - The Industry and Nation's Most Critical Problem with Software Production Today
  - Arthur I. Zygielbaum
    - My Worst Problems with Software
    - Industry and National Problems with Software