bourgeois chapter 10

Question 1

programming

Answer 1

the process of creating a set of logical instructions for a digital device to follow using a programming language, also called coding because not everyone can understand it.

Question 2

Systems-Development Life Cycle (SDLC)

Answer 2

a very structured and risk-averse methodology designed to manage large projects that include multiple programmers and systems that would have a large impact on the organisation. it is criticised for being inflexible. it is built on the waterfall methodology.

Question 3

waterfall methodology

Answer 3

only when one step is completed can another step begin and changes to the requirements are not allowed once the process has begun.

Question 4

preliminary analysis (SDLC)

Answer 4

create a review of the request. a key part is a feasibility analysis (technical, economic, legal) to decide if the project should start at all.

Question 5

system analysis (SDLC)

Answer 5

analysts and stakeholders work together to determine the specific requirements for the system. it creates an overview of what the system is supposed to do, but does not include programming. the result is a system-requirements document.

Question 6

system design (SDLC)

Answer 6

a designer takes the system-requirements document and develops the specific technical details required for the system to create designs for the user interface, database, data inputs/outputs and reporting. the result is a system-design document.

Question 7

programming (SDLC)

Answer 7

the code gets written. the result is an initial working program.

Question 8

testing (SDLC)

Answer 8

the developed software is put through a series of structured tests, eg. unit test, system test, user-acceptance test. any errors get addressed.

Question 9

implementation (SDLC)

Answer 9

the system gets implemented in the organisation. this phase includes training users, providing documentation, and conversion from the old to the new system.

Question 10

maintenance (SDLC)

Answer 10

reported bugs are fixed and requests for new features are evaluated and implemented; system updates and backups are performed on a regular basis.

Question 11

Rapid Application Development (RAD)

Answer 11

a software development methodology that focuses on quickly building a working model of the software, getting feedback from users, and then using that feedback to update the working model. the focus is on user participation and iteration.

Question 12

requirements planning (RAD)

Answer 12

overall requirements for the system are defined, a team is identified, and feasibility is determined.

Question 13

user design (RAD)

Answer 13

representatives of the users work with the system analysts, designers, and programmers to interactively create the design of the system.

Question 14

joint application development (JAD) session

Answer 14

gets all of the stakeholders together to have a structured discussion about the design of the system.

Question 15

construction (RAD)

Answer 15

application developers, working with the users, build the next version of the system. it is executed in parallel with User Design in an iterative fashion, until an acceptable version of the product is developed.

Question 16

cutover

Answer 16

the system goes live.

Question 17

agile methodologies

Answer 17

a group of methodologies that utilise incremental changes with a focus on quality and attention to detail. each increment is released in a specified period of time (time box), creating a regular release schedule with very specific objectives.

Question 18

lean methodology

Answer 18

focuses on taking an initial idea and developing a MVP.

Question 19

minimum viable product (MVP)

Answer 19

a working software application with just enough functionality to demonstrate the idea behind the project.

Question 20

pivot

Answer 20

a change in strategy by rethinking the core idea behind the project and create a new MVP.

Question 21

quality triangle

Answer 21

when developing software there is tension between developers and different stakeholder groups relating to time (how quickly can it be built), cost (how much money will be spent), and quality (how well it will be built). the triangle states that you can only address two. it helps with understanding tradeoffs when developing products and services.

Question 22

machine code

Answer 22

first-generation programming language (low-level). it is done by directly setting actual ones and zeroes (the bits) in the program using binary code.

Question 23

assembly language

Answer 23

second-generation programming language, which gives English-like phrases to the machine-code instructions.

Question 24

third-generation language

Answer 24

more like a spoken language. most must be compiled, which is a process that converts them into machine code. eg. BASIC, C, Pascal, Java.

Question 25

fourth-generation language

Answer 25

a class of programming tools that use intuitive interfaces and environment. they are higher-level languages and require more work. however, you get finer control over hardware and more efficiency. eg. Clipper, FOCUS, FoxPro, SQL, and SPSS.

Question 26

compiled language

Answer 26

programming language in which the program code is translated into a machine-readable form called an executable that can be run on the hardware. eg. C, C++, and COBOL.

Question 27

interpreted language

Answer 27

programming language that requires a runtime program to be installed in order to execute that interprets the program code line by line and runs it. it is easier to work with but also slower and requires more system resources. eg. BASIC, PHP, PERL, and Phyton.

Question 28

Java

Answer 28

hybrid of compiled and interpreted language. a program written in Java is partially compiled to a program that can be understood by Java Virtual Machine (JVM).

Question 29

procedural programming language

Answer 29

designed to allow a programmer to define a specific starting point for the program and then execute sequentially.

Question 30

object-oriented programming language

Answer 30

programming language that is set up so that the programmer defines objects that can take certain actions based on input from the user. every object has properties, which are descriptive field associated with it, and methods, which can take actions related to the object.

Question 31

COBOL

Answer 31

a procedural, compiled language that at one time was the primary programming language for business applications. it is rarely used today.

Question 32

Integrated Development Environment (IDE)

Answer 32

additional tool to be more efficient at programming. it includes an editor, help system, compiler/interpreter, debugging tool, and check-in/check-out mechanism.

Question 33

computer-aided software-engineering (CASE)

Answer 33

tools that allow a designer to develop software with little or no programming. the CASE tool writes the code for the designer. the goal is to generate quality code, based on the input created by the designer.

Question 34

end-user computing

Answer 34

when other departments than the IT-department develop their own specific applications. these people are often not trained in programming.

Question 35

web services

Answer 35

a company can build a software application themselves but purchase functionality from vendors to supplement their system. they can license functions from other companies instead of writing the code themselves.

Question 36

direct cutover

Answer 36

the organisation selects a date that the old system is not going to be used anymore. the users begin using the new system on that date and the old system is unavailable.

Question 37

pilot implementation

Answer 37

a subset of the organisation starts using the new system before the rest of the organisation. this has a smaller impact on the company and the support team can focus on a smaller group.

Question 38

parallel operation

Answer 38

the old and new systems are used simultaneously for a limited period of time. it is the least risky because the old system is still used as the new system is tested. it is the most expensive because work is duplicated and support is needed for both systems.

Question 39

phased implementation

Answer 39

different functions of the new application are used as functions from the old system are turned off. this approach allows an organisation to slowly move from one system to another.

Question 40

change management

Answer 40

a critical component of IT oversight. it is important to manage the way change is implanted in the organisation. impact of change after implementation must be minimised.