Software Engineering

Question 1

IDE features

Answer 1

• Editor: this allows a programmer to enter and edit source code/annotation
• Interpreter: Translates each line/a single line of source code and executes it
• Automatic formatting: Correctly indents code
• Automatic colour coding: Changes key words, literals and annotation to different colours
• Linker: this is a program which allows previously compiled code, from software libraries, to be linked together
• Loader: this is a program which loads previously compiled code into memory.
• Debugger: this is a program which helps locale, identify and rectify errors in a program
• Trace: this is a facility which displays the order in which the lines of a program are executed, and possibly the values of variables as the program is being run
• Break point: this is a facility which interrupts a program on a specific line of code, allowing the programmer to compare the values of variables against expected values. The program code can then usually be executed one line at a time. This is called single-stepping
• Variable watch: this is a facility which displays the current value of any variable. The value can be ‘watched as the program code is single-stepped to see the effects of the code on the variable. Alternatively a variable watch may be set, which will interrupt the program flow if the watched variable reaches a specified value
• Memory inspector: this is a facility which will display the contents of a section of memory * Emulator: will provide an emulator to run the code/app so no physical device required
• Context sensitive menu: IDE suggests available options
• Statement completion: IDE will complete a
  statement such as adding an ‘end if to an ‘if’ statement
• GUI creation: Allows programmer to create a GUI by dragging and dropping controls (buttons, etc…) onto a form
• Publisher: facility to package up and deploy program as an easy to install package
  Code optimisation: Warning message when variables have been declared but not used.