Development Methodologies Flashcards
State two reasons you would develop a computerised system
<ul>
<li>Able to complete tasks in shorter time</li>
<li>Employ fewer people</li>
</ul>
State the three personnel involved in the software development process
Project Manager
System Analyst
Programmer
What are the seven steps in the waterfall method?
A nalysis D esign I mplementation T esting D ocumentation E valuation M aintenance
What are the two steps in the analysis stage of the waterfall method?
Requirement Elicitation
Software Specification
Describe one way the system analyst can get information off the client about what they want the program to do
Interviews
Observing current system
Inspection of Information Sources
Define the <em>‘Software Specification’</em>
Software specification is a legally binding document that states EXACTLY what the software should do
Apart from legally protecting the client and the programmer, what else should the software specification do?
State exactly what program should do
Set out the budget and time scale for the project
Explain what the role of a system analyst is
To determine the scope of the project and what the software needs to do
State three design methodologies for software design
Wireframe
Structured Diagram
Pseudocode
Flow Chart
Define a ‘Wireframe’ and two considerations when designing a wireframe
Wireframe - visual guide that represents the program interface Considerations <ul> <li> Navigation</li> <li>User Interface</li> <li>How the data is presented</li> </ul>
Why should a wireframe be created early on?
To allow the client to comment and refine the user interface of their software
Describe an advantage of using a
a) Structured Diagram
b) Flow Chart
to design your software
a) Structured Diagram - shows how different modules are connected
b) Shows flow of data around system
Describe Stepwise Refinement
Stepwise refinement is the process of breaking down larger problems into smaller problems that are easier to code and solve
Give an advantage of top down design
- Developer only concerned with small chunks at a time
- Problem can be shared
- Makes it easier to solve individual blocks
Describe two advantages of using pseudocode as your design methodology
- Closer to source code, easier to transfer
- Shows which variables are used in code
State some good programming principles
- Meaningful Identifiers
- Internal Commentary
- Modular Coding
- Indentation
What is a structured listing?
Formatted printout of the program
State some factors that influence the choice of programming language for developing the software
<ol> <li>Expertise of Programmers</li> <li>Data Types used</li> <li>Operating System to be installed on</li> </ol>
What is the difference between breakpoints and watchpoints?
Breakpoints - stop at a specific line and report values of variables
Watchpoint - stop when variable has specific value
What is the purpose of testing?
To ensures it meets the software specification
To ensure the program is robust
To ensure the program is reliable