Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!lgc.com!mips.mitek.com!convex!uunet!pdn!reggie From: reggie@paradyne.com (George W. Leach) Newsgroups: comp.software-eng Subject: Re: bridge building (was Re: Documenting OO Systems) Message-ID: <1991Apr26.165507.18093@pdn.paradyne.com> Date: 26 Apr 91 16:55:07 GMT References: <33407@mimsy.umd.edu> <1991Apr25.200023.5334@intellistor.com> Sender: news@pdn.paradyne.com (News Subsystem) Distribution: na Organization: AT&T Suncoast Division, Largo FL Lines: 24 Nntp-Posting-Host: dinsdale In article <1991Apr25.200023.5334@intellistor.com> taylor@intellistor.com (Dick Taylor) writes: >I think that building _some_kinds_ of software is very much like building >bridges. That is, the thing is expensive to produce, and so critical in >its function that any failure at all is potentially catastrophic and >certainly expensive. Space shuttle operating software, for example, >fits nicely into this mold. IBM Houston is the ONLY SEI Level 5 organization that I know of. They develop the space shuttle software. However, cost is not a factor in their development equation. >Other kinds of software may not have this level of expense and criticality. Or >they may not be susceptible to the same kind of orderly design methodology. Right. We must make tradeoffs based upon constraints. The trick is to adequately balance quality, time, and money. Unfortunately, most organizations tend to focus on the later two and ignore the first. -- George W. Leach AT&T Paradyne reggie@paradyne.com Mail stop LG-133 Phone: 1-813-530-2376 P.O. Box 2826 FAX: 1-813-530-8224 Largo, FL 34649-2826 USA