The Term: Software Engineering

It will be clear that the term software engineering involves many difference issues - all are crucial to the success of large-scale software development. The topics covered in this course are intended to address all these different issues.

Boehm [Boehm 1979]:
Software Engineering: The practical application of scientific knowledge in the design and construction of computer programs and the associated documentation required to develop, operate, and maintain them.

Dennis [Dennis 1975]:
Software engineering is the application of principles, skills, and art to the design and construction of programs and systems of programs.

Parnas [Parnas 1974]:
Software engineering is programming under at last one of the following two conditions:

(1) More than one person is involved in the construction and/or use of the programs

(2) More than one version of the program will be produced

Fairley [Fairley 1985]:
Software engineering is the technological and managerial discipline concerned with the systematic production and maintenance of software products that are developed and modified on time and within cost estimates.

Sommerville [Sommerville 1989]:
Software Engineering is concerned with building software systems which are large than would normally be tackled by a single individual, uses engineering principles in the development of these systems and is made up of both technical and non-technical aspects.

Pomberger and Blaschek [Pomberger 1996]:
Software engineering is the practical application of scientific knowledge for the economical production and use of high-quality software.