Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!yale!bunker!shap
From: shap@bunker.UUCP (Joseph D. Shapiro)
Newsgroups: comp.software-eng
Subject: Re: Towards a definition of software engineering
Message-ID: <3414@bunker.UUCP>
Date: 21 Mar 88 17:50:12 GMT
References: <1321@lznv.ATT.COM>
Reply-To: shap@clunker.UUCP (Joseph D. Shapiro)
Organization: Bunker Ramo, an Olivetti Company, Shelton, Ct
Lines: 28
Keywords: definition

In article <1321@lznv.ATT.COM> psc@lznv.ATT.COM (Programmers against Sleepy Computing) writes:
>came across the following definition of structural engineering
>> Structural engineering is the science and art of designing and
>> making, with economy and elegance, buildings, bridges, frameworks,
>> and other similar structures so that they can safely resist the
>> forces to which they may be subjected.
   ******
>
>My immediate reaction was to try and reword it:
>Software engineering is the science and art of designing and making,
>with economy and elegance, computer programs, so that they can safely
>fulfill the requirements of their users, and safely resist the errors
                                                                ******
>to which the programs may be subjected.

I think "forces" is more applicable than you might at first think.  We
occassionally do "stress testing" of our software here.  This has two
purposes:  (1) See how many concurrent users still get good response,
and (2) See if it breaks under load.

I would consider erroneous input just one instance of the forces to
which programs are subjected.  I would not consider all forces to be
errors.
-- 
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_
Joe Shapiro					"My other car is a turbo...
Bunker Ramo Olivetti				 too."
{decvax,yale,philabs,oliveb}!bunker!shap