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From: del@homxc.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.edu
Subject: Re: software engineering
Message-ID: <173@homxc.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 25-Mar-87 20:55:51 EST
Article-I.D.: homxc.173
Posted: Wed Mar 25 20:55:51 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 28-Mar-87 00:51:26 EST
References: <340@ndsuvax.UUCP> <623@charon.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Holmdel
Lines: 26
Summary: there is a difference between software engineering and software design and a time to teach each

In article <623@charon.UUCP>, burgess@izar.unm.edu (Rebecca Burgess) writes:
> In article <340@ndsuvax.UUCP> ncmagel@ndsuvax.UUCP (ken magel) writes:
> >
> >     At what level should students be taught software engineering principles and
> >concerns?
> 
> As early as possible.  If they take the shot gun approach (well, maybe THIS
> line has the bug in it) it takes forever to break them of it.  Also, if you
> give them a good step-by-step method to write programs, they might use it.
> 
There is a difference between software engineering and software
design. (Duck, personal opinion coming) Software engineering is used
for programs that are over 10000 lines. Why bother with a lot of
measures and management on smaller projects?

Furthermore, you can't teach software engineering to those who haven't
experienced the problems that are unique to large projects.

On the other hand, make their brains sweat with the software design!
Its never to early to teach good programming. The more often the
better. Like writing, it's practice that makes good writers. (Great programmers
are still "born" however). It doesn't hurt to expose them to the
literature of the greats, either.

David Leasure
ihnp4!homxc!del