Course Overview

Course Overview
– Introduce Software Engineering
– Introduce Formal Design Principles
Software Engineering
Object Oriented Approach Addressed
– Using the Unified Modeling Language (UML)

Assessment
Lecture 1 – Wk 6: Examples Class
What can computers do?
Goal: To give a general overview of principles
and problems
Gareth Howells

Recommended Reading A Simple Problem

Using UML: Software Engineering with
Objects and Components, Stevens / Pooley

Developing Software with UML, Oestereich

Classical and Object-Oriented Software
Engineering Schach

Applying UML and Patterns, Larman

The Unified Modeling Language User Guide
Booch, Rumbaugh, Jacobson

Object-Oriebted Software Engineering, Lethbridge
/ Laganiere

Programmers often make mistakes which cause
their programs to enter an infinite loop and
never terminate

Useful to build a program which tests to see if
such a loop exists

That is: Can we devise an algorithm which
analyses a program P and its input data D and
determines if P will halt on input D

One of the possibilities must occur:
Program P must either halt or loop forever
 Analysis of Problem Analysis of Problem

Assume program halttester exists to solve problem---shown
Amend newhalttester so that it halts for a negative answer
in (a)
and loops forever for a positive answer (funny)

P itself is just data.

Apply funny using its own algorithm as data!

Therefore, may refine halttester to consider whether P halts

funny(funny) halts if it loops forever and loops forever if it
when applied to itself (newhalttester)
halts!!

Non-Computable Problems A Turing Machine

Program Funny cannot exist

But funny is a simple extension to newhalttester
which in turn is a simple extension of halttester

Therefore halttester cannot exist
Infinitely long tape on

This proof arose in the 1930’s and caused many which can be written a
problems for logicians sequence of symbols

Many problems are non-computable

– totality (halts on all inputs) Control device that can read and write to a
given symbol position and, depending on current
– equivalence (two programs the same)
State, move one position right or left
 Programming a Turing Machine What are Algorithms?

Various definitions of algorithms have been made
– Lambda Calculus
– Turing Machines

All have proved equivalent!! (Church - Turing Thesis)

An Algorithm describes the method by which a
1. Overwrite the
If the machine is in
Symbol with this 3. Enter this state task is to be accomplished
this state…
symbol
Algorithms exist for:-
2. move the head – Knitting a Sweater, Baking a Cake, Controlling Traffic Lights,
…and this symbol Controlling Robots, Payroll / Booking, Many Mathematical / Data
is written on the tape one step in
this direction Processing tasks

Infeasible Problems Software Engineering

Other problems are computable but consume such
enormous resources such as time or memory that
they are not feasibly computable
Software Engineering is a discipline whose aim

Complexity theory studies the resources required by is the production of algorithmic solutions to
an algorithm problems which are fault-free, delivered on-time,
All within budget, satisfy the user’s needs and be
problems easy to modify to incorporate future needs
Computable Problems

Term dates from 1967 comparing programming

Feasibly Computable Problems with Civil, Mechanical Engineering etc.
 Software Engineering Meeting the Goals

However, Software is often late, over budget
Due to the many and varied requirements,
and contains residual faults (bugs) modern software systems are often

Complexity of large software systems is deficient in some respects
beyond one person’s ability to comprehend
Techniques are required to minimise these

Social as well as technical task deficiencies and simplify the mechanisms of

Encompasses mathematics, computer science, software construction
economics, management and psychology – Evolve a methodology which begins by

Essentially concerned with the design of algorithms ascertaining the nature of the problem and
ends with a working solution

Early Evolution of Programming Summary

Machine Code

Assembler LISP
Software Engineering encompasses a

FORTRAN

ALGOL 60 1960
number of disciplines
COBOL
Prolog
Algorithms exist for many useful problems
PL/1 BASIC
but not all problems
Smalltalk 1970
C
Only certain algorithms may be feasibly
Pascal
computed
1980
Ada

Software Engineering needs to take
Haskell
C++ account of algorithm complexity to meet
Visual Basic
Java resource constraints