Computer Science Stack Exchange
Computer Science Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [software-engineering]

Research on methods and techniques to ensure the utility and quality of software systems through design and development processes.

120 questions
25
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2 answers

Is there evidence that using dynamic languages has an impact on productivity?

I am wondering if there are any experiments that show the existence or the non-existence of a correlation between usage of a dynamic language (such as Python, Ruby, or even languages that run on the Java platform such as Groovy, Clojure) over a…
Ken Li
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4 answers

How do you check if two algorithms return the same result for any input?

How do you check if two algorithms (say, Merge sort and Naïve sort) return the same result for any input, when the set of all inputs is infinite? Update: Thank you Ben for describing how this is impossible to do algorithmically in the general case.…
Andres Riofrio
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18
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5 answers

Is it possible to solve the halting problem if you have a constrained or a predictable input?

The halting problem cannot be solved in the general case. It is possible to come up with defined rules that restrict allowed inputs and can the halting problem be solved for that special case? For example, it seems likely that a language that does…
Ken Li
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15
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2 answers

Time spent on requirement and its effect on project success and development time

Is there any evidence suggesting that time spent on writing up, or thinking about the requirements will have any effect on the development time? Study done by Standish (1995) suggests that incomplete requirements partially (13.1%) contributed to the…
Ken Li
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9
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4 answers

How are statistics being applied in computer science to evaluate accuracy in research claims?

I have noticed in my short academic life that many published papers in our area sometimes do not have much rigor regarding statistics. This is not just an assumption; I have heard professors say the same. For example, in CS disciplines I see papers…
Oeufcoque Penteano
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8
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3 answers

What's the difference between a bridge, a mediator and a wrapper?

The slides from my course in software architecture hints that these are seperate terms, but I can't seem to find the difference. Aren't all of them just translating interfaces?
bobbaluba
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8
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0 answers

Optimizing order of graph reduction to minimize memory usage

Having extracted the data-flow in some rather large programs as directed, acyclic graphs, I'd now like to optimize the order of evaluation to minimze the maximum amount of memory used. That is, given a graph {1 -> 3, 2 -> 3, 4 -> 5, 3 -> 5}, I'm…
Baughn
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7
votes
1 answer

Ideal number of participants for evaluation of development approach / software architecture

For my thesis, I have created a development approach (consisting of schemes, an application template and prototype code) that should make it easier to develop and adapt applications for a specific platform. I have conducted interviews with…
saschoar
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6
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1 answer

Is there a way of objectively measuring the efficiency or quality of software or code design?

I've been thinking about ways of measuring code, and, quite frankly, I can't think of truly objective, semi-universal ways of evaluating the quality or "strength" of code to say, "Yes, this is better than that based on X, Y, and Z metrics" that are…
CinchBlue
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6
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2 answers

What is the fastest way to a Publish/Subscribe pattern?

I am running in a conceptual problem in my development which I previously also encountered in the Drupal CMS and was wondering what would be the best solution to circumvent the problem. Drupal, and my own Snap Websites software, make use of a…
Alexis Wilke
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6
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2 answers

Difference between Computing Architecture and Platform in Computer Science

I was looking for an appropriate term to call my proposal. I knew it is either platform or architecture. But could not simply and clearly distinguish them in an academic manner. So, I searched the web and the literature and found few definitions on…
Espanta
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5
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1 answer

What we lack to do automatic programming?

From time to time I am trying to implement automatic programming system. We already have the formalization of norms (laws/legislation, business policies and rules) as some kind of deontic logic (there have been endeavours to convert deontic logic…
TomR
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5
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2 answers

Application of set theory subjects as ordinals, forcing, generic filters in software engineering

I am going to teach a course in set theory for software engineering students. I am going to talk in this course about: ordinal numbers, partial orders, well ordering, generic filters and maybe some cardinal invariants (such as $\mathfrak b$,…
user135172
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5
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2 answers

What different lines of reasoning and traditions lead to the conclusion that Software Engineering is or isn't part of Computer Science?

Background: Some people consider Software Engineering as a branch of Computer Science, while others consider that they are, or should be, separate. The former stance seems to be well presented in written works. On Wikipedia, Software Engineering is…
Fabian Fagerholm
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5
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4 answers

What's role of software verification in modern software engineering

There are standard courses in computer science faculties that teach software verification, yet modern software products (Operating Systems especially) require periodic updates and bugs are constantly found. Windows code is so complex, I don't have…
math boy
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