076 Flashcards
Question 1: Explain system modeling with a suitable example.
Answer: System modeling refers to the process of creating abstract representations of a system in order to better understand its structure, behavior, and interactions. It helps in visualizing and analyzing complex systems. For example, in the context of software development, a system model can include various diagrams such as use case diagrams, class diagrams, sequence diagrams, and activity diagrams to represent different aspects of the software system and its components.
Question 2: What is a software process model? Discuss the waterfall model with its merits and demerits.
Answer: A software process model represents a systematic approach to software development that defines the sequence of activities, their dependencies, and the deliverables at each stage. The waterfall model is a linear and sequential software process model. It consists of distinct phases, including requirements analysis, design, implementation, testing, and maintenance.
Merits of the waterfall model:
Clear and well-structured process flow.
Easy to understand and implement.
Suitable for projects with stable and well-defined requirements.
Demerits of the waterfall model:
Limited flexibility for accommodating changes.
Difficult to incorporate user feedback during development.
High risk of late-stage failures if requirements are not accurately gathered upfront.
Question 3: Discuss different types of risks likely to arise in software projects. Briefly explain the risk analysis stage during the risk management process.
Answer: Various risks can arise in software projects, including:
Technical risks: Issues related to technology, tools, or infrastructure.
Schedule risks: Delays in project timelines or missed deadlines.
Budget risks: Budget overruns or insufficient funds.
Requirements risks: Inaccurate, incomplete, or changing requirements.
Personnel risks: Skill gaps, team conflicts, or staff turnover.
Risk analysis is a stage in the risk management process where identified risks are assessed and prioritized. It involves evaluating the probability and potential impact of each risk and determining suitable mitigation strategies. The goal is to understand the risks and their potential consequences to develop effective risk response plans and minimize the impact on the project’s success.
Question 4: Briefly explain functional, non-functional, and domain requirements.
Answer:
Functional requirements: These specify the specific functions, features, and behavior that a system or software must possess. They describe what the system should do and how it should respond to different inputs or events.
Non-functional requirements: These specify the qualities or characteristics of the system, such as performance, security, reliability, usability, and maintainability. They focus on how the system should perform or behave.
Domain requirements: These are specific to a particular industry or application domain. They address the unique needs, constraints, or regulations associated with that domain.
Question 5: What are rapid prototyping techniques? Briefly explain different rapid prototyping techniques.
Answer: Rapid prototyping techniques involve quickly creating prototypes or mockups of a software system to gather feedback, evaluate design concepts, and validate requirements. Some common rapid prototyping techniques include:
Throwaway Prototyping: A quick prototype is built to explore design ideas and gather feedback. It is discarded after evaluation.
Evolutionary Prototyping: An initial prototype is built and gradually refined based on user feedback and changing requirements.
Incremental Prototyping: The system is developed in small increments, with each increment adding new functionality or refining existing features.
Question 6: What is formal specification? Discuss interface specification in detail.
Answer: Formal specification is a rigorous and precise approach to defining the behavior, structure, and properties of a software system using mathematical notations or formal languages. It provides unambiguous and machine-readable specifications that can be used for verification, analysis, and code generation.
Interface specification in formal methods focuses on specifying the interactions between system components or modules. It describes the inputs, outputs, and expected behavior of each interface. Interface specifications ensure proper communication and coordination between different system elements and help in the development of independent and reusable components.
Question 7: What are the activities of the architectural design process? Discuss the abstract machine model.
Answer: The activities of the architectural design process include:
Understanding system requirements and constraints.
Identifying system components and their interactions.
Defining the overall system structure and organization.
Allocating responsibilities to different system components.
Evaluating architectural choices and trade-offs.
The abstract machine model is a conceptual model used in architectural design. It represents the system as an abstract machine with interconnected components. Each component has its own state, interfaces, and behavior. The abstract machine model helps in understanding the flow of information and control within the system and facilitates architectural analysis and validation.
Question 8: What is modular decomposition? Discuss the object-oriented model of decomposition.
Answer: Modular decomposition is the process of breaking down a system into modular components or modules. Each module represents a cohesive and independent unit of functionality, and the system functionality is distributed among these modules. Modular decomposition improves code maintainability, reusability, and readability.
In the object-oriented model of decomposition, the system is decomposed based on the principles of object-oriented programming. The system is divided into classes or objects, where each class encapsulates its own data and behavior. The interactions between objects are defined through method invocations and message passing. Object-oriented decomposition promotes modularity, encapsulation, and information hiding.
Question 9: Discuss the importance of use case diagrams in object-oriented development. Draw a use case diagram for a library system.
Answer: Use case diagrams are an essential tool in object-oriented development for capturing and illustrating the functional requirements of a system from a user’s perspective. They represent the interactions between users (actors) and the system, focusing on the system’s behavior and the goals it helps users achieve.
A use case diagram for a library system might include actors like “Librarian,” “Borrower,” and “Administrator.” Use cases could include “Borrow Book,” “Return Book,” “Search Catalog,” and “Manage Inventory.” The diagram visually depicts the relationships between actors and use cases, helping stakeholders understand the system’s functionality and facilitating requirements analysis and system design.
Question 10: What is cleanroom software development? Discuss the characteristics of cleanroom software development.
Answer: Cleanroom software development is a software development methodology that focuses on achieving high reliability through rigorous formal methods and statistical testing. Key characteristics of cleanroom software development include:
Formal specification and verification: Rigorous mathematical specifications are used to define the desired behavior and properties of the system.
Incremental development: The system is built incrementally, with each increment being verified and validated before proceeding.
Statistical testing: Controlled statistical methods are used to assess the reliability and correctness of the software.
Statistical usage testing: Real-world usage data is collected and analyzed to guide testing and uncover defects.
Question 11: Discuss path testing with a suitable example.
Answer: Path testing is a white-box testing technique that aims to test all possible paths or sequences of statements in a program. It ensures that every statement and branch in the code is executed at least once. A suitable example would be testing a function with conditional statements:
python
Copy code
def calculate_grade(score):
if score >= 90:
grade = “A”
elif score >= 80:
grade = “B”
else:
grade = “C”
return grade
In path testing, you would create test cases to cover all possible paths through the function. For this example, you would need test cases to cover the paths: (1) score >= 90, (2) 80 <= score < 90, and (3) score < 80. This ensures that each possible outcome of the function is tested.
