ICS 121 Home Page

Instructor: Debra J. Richardson
Email: djr@ics.uci.edu
Office hours: by appointment on Wednesdays 1-2 and Thursdays 2-3
Room: ICS2 216 

Assistant: Jie Ren
Email: jie@ics.uci.edu
Office hours: TBD

Assistant: TBD

Course Code: 36110
Lecture: Tuesdays and Thursdays 11-12:20
Room: RH 101

Course Codes: 36112 and 36113
Discussions: Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays 3-3:50 and 4-4:50
Room: CS180

Course Description

Introduction to concepts, methods, and current practice of software engineering. The study of large-scale software production: software process models as an organizing structure; principles and techniques appropriate for each stage of production;

Software engineering is the study of the software process, in particular the specification, design, implementation, testing, maintenance and documentation of a software system. This course will provide a broad introduction to the concepts, methods, and current practice of software engineering. Topics include the study of large-scale software production with software process models as an organizing structure and principles and techniques relevant to each stage of the software production lifecycle. Emphasis will be on methods essential to creating software systems: well-understood requirements, logical design, formal specification, and well-planned testing.

The major concepts will be presented in the lectures. Additional help and information will be available in discussion sections. A key part of the class is a term requirements specification and design project performed in a sequence of exercises. This project serves as a vehicle for understanding software engineering and illustrating important concepts, methods, and tools.

Prerequisites

ICS 21-22-23 or equivalent
ICS 52
(MATH 2A-2B-2C)
MATH 6A-6B(-6C)
WRITING 39C

Grading

Students will be assessed on the basis of six assignments (55%) constituting the term project and covering the key concepts presented in the class and two exams.

The six assignments constituting the term project are as follows:

1. Problem Analysis (5%)
2. Validation Plan and Lifecycle Considerations (5%)
3. System Mockups and Scenario (10%)
4. Requirements Specification (15%)
5. Initial Object-Oriented Architectural Design (10%)
6. Final Object-Oriented Architectural Design (10%)

In addition, there will be two exams:

1. midterm (20%)
2. final examination (30%)

A final study guide and sample final will be made available.

Course Lectures

Course lecture notes and visuals are available through the engineering copy center. In addition, pdf and html versions will be available on the web.  Together with attending the lectures and lab discussions, these should be sufficient for completing the assignments. The material covered in class will be primary with respect to both assignments and exams.

Required Texts

Two texts are required as supplemental reading to complement lecture material. These texts will enable you to better understand the material presented in class as well as give you alternative descriptions of the material, which should be particularly useful in preparing for the exams. The required texts for this course are:

1. Schach, S. (1998). Classical and Object-Oriented Software Engineering with UML and C++/Java (Fourth Edition). McGraw Hill.
2. Brooks, F. (1995). The Mythical Man-Month (Anniversary Edition). Addison-Wesley Publishing Company.
3. Martin Fowler, et.al. (1999). UML Distilled: A Brief Guilde to the Standard Object Modeling Language (Second Edition). Addison Wesley.

For those with a keen personal or professional interest in software engineering, the following three texts provide alternative presentations of similar material:

1. Ghezzi, C., Jazayeri, M., & Mandrioli, D. (1991). Fundamentals of Software Engineering. Englewood Cliffs, NJ. Prentice Hall.
2. Sommerville, I. (1996). Software Engineering (Fifth Edition). Reading, MA. Addison-Wesley Publishing Company.
3. Rumbaugh, et.al. Object-Oriented Modeling and Design.

There is no "programming" in this class. The emphasis is on specification and design. The five assignments must be neatly formatted including graphics. You may accomplish this with the platform of your choice, such as Microsoft Word on the Macintosh or IBM PC or LaTex on your UNIX account.

You should use your UNIX accounts to access the bulletin board at least once a day. The instructor and teaching assistant will post messages including details of the assignments in this fashion. You will need to use email to arrange office hours, etc.

Communication and Office Hours

Office hours, electronic mail addresses, and phone numbers appear on the first page of this handout. Electronic mail is typically the best mean for asking simple questions, since even if the addressee is out of town, they may be able to answer your question promptly. In general, it is best to speak with the TAs regarding assignments and with the instructor with respect to conceptual information. If you feel you have extensive questions, be sure to make an appointment with whomever you would like to talk. If you have a problem with the grading of an assignment, speak with the TA first. If you need further assistance, don't hesitate to contact the instructor.

Lecture and Discussion Topics

Lecture and discussion topics include but are not limited to the following:

1. Introduction, Software Engineering Scope and Principles
2. Lifecycle Models, Methods and Tools
3. Software Nature and Qualities
4. Lifecycle Verification and Validation
5. Requirements Acquisition, Prototyping
6. Scenario Mockups and Human Computer Interaction
7. Requirements Analysis Process
8. Requirements Specification Methods
9. Design Process
10. Architectural Design Methods
11. Object-Oriented Design and Analysis
12. Formal (Specification) Methods
13. Testing, Verification and Validation
14. Software Environments
15. Software Process Models
16. The Mythical Man-Month

Schedule