Chapter 7

Software Development Fundamentals

Management Fundamentals

Evolution of Software

The evolution of software can be divided into four phases:

1. Phase 1: In the early days of computing, hardware was the primary

focus, and software development was mainly done in defense-funded
labs. Software was tied to specific hardware products, and maintenance
became a challenge when developers left the company.
2. Phase 2: Large corporations and the academic sector started using
computers, leading to a shift from custom software to product software.
Multi-user systems and software maintenance activities emerged during
this phase.
3. Phase 3: The widespread use of microprocessors and digital
communication technologies resulted in the development of high-speed
and networked computers. However, these advancements were mainly
limited to enterprise applications.
4. Phase 4: Beginning in the early 1990s, this phase saw the growth of
client-server environments, distributed computing, and object-oriented
programming. The popularity of personal computers and the Internet
made software more accessible to the general public.

1. In which phase of software evolution did the focus shift from

custom software to product software?
a) Phase 1
b) Phase 2
c) Phase 3
d) Phase 4
Answer: b) Phase 2

2. Which phase of software evolution saw the emergence of software

maintenance activities?
 a) Phase 1
b) Phase 2
c) Phase 3
d) Phase 4
Answer: b) Phase 2

3. What technological advancement drove the third phase of

software evolution?
a) Development of high-speed computers
b) Widespread use of microprocessors
c) Introduction of digital communication
d) Growth of networked computers
Answer: b) Widespread use of microprocessors

4. In which phase of software evolution did the Internet facilitate

easy accessibility of information?
a) Phase 1
b) Phase 2
c) Phase 3
d) Phase 4
Answer: d) Phase 4

5. What was a key characteristic of the fourth phase of software

evolution?
a) Focus on hardware advancements
b) Limited scope of software development
c) Growth of client-server environments
d) Dependency on specific hardware products
Answer: c) Growth of client-server environments

The Software Crisis

The central idea of the passage is the existence of the software crisis, which refers
to the challenges and problems associated with software development in the early
stages. It highlights the ad hoc approach to software development, lack of
methodology, and various factors that contributed to the crisis. The passage also
mentions the consequences of the software crisis, such as over-budgeted and poor-
quality software, as well as the shift in concerns to project delays, high costs, and
errors in the present times.

1. What was the main reason for the software crisis in the early stages of
software development?
a) Lack of hardware advancements
b) Inadequate training for software developers
c) Complexity of programming languages
d) Insufficient budget allocation for software projects
Answer: b) Inadequate training for software developers

2. Which of the following was NOT a contributing factor to the software

crisis?
a) Multiple programming languages being used
b) Complex user requirements
c) High interoperability of software
d) Poor mapping of requirements to the actual product
Answer: c) High interoperability of software

3. What was a common characteristic of software projects during the software

crisis period?
a) On-time delivery of software products
b) Low-cost software development
c) Extensive software documentation
d) Over-budgeted and poor-quality software
Answer: d) Over-budgeted and poor-quality software

4. What was the short-term solution adopted during the software crisis
period?
a) Ad hoc software development approach
b) Increased software maintenance efforts
c) Implementation of systematic processes
d) Improved hardware advancements
Answer: b) Increased software maintenance efforts

5. What are the primary concerns in software projects in the present times?
a) Lack of hardware advancements
b) Inadequate budget allocation
c) Project delays, high costs, and errors in the finished product
d) Excessive documentation requirements
 Answer: c) Project delays, high costs, and errors in the finished product

Project Execution Fundamentals

Tracking, status report

The passage emphasizes the significance of tracking and communication in project

execution. The project manager needs accurate information about the project's
status, obtained through various methods. Objective information from support
groups is crucial, and direct contact with developers provides valuable insights.
The "90/50 syndrome" highlights the challenge of completing the remaining work.
Status reports play a vital role, containing information on activities, planned
activities, and problems. These reports are submitted by team members to their
leader, who consolidates them for the project manager.

1. What is one of the methods used to acquire information about the project's
status?
a. Quality assurance reports
b. Independent test reports
c. Product demonstrations
d. All of the above

Answer: d. All of the above

4. What should be included in status reports submitted by team members?

a. Activities during the report period
b. Planned activities for the next report period
c. Problems encountered
d. All of the above

Answer: d. All of the above

5. Who consolidates the individual status reports into a team status report?
a. Project manager
b. Team leader
c. Quality assurance team
d. Independent test team

Answer: b. Team leader

Project status meetings
The central idea of the passage is the importance and guidelines for conducting
project status meetings. It emphasizes the need for regular and scheduled status
meetings to maintain order and control within the project. The project manager
reviews status reports before the meeting, and during the meeting, each participant
provides a report on their team's activities. Problems are discussed, and solutions
are worked out whenever possible. Unresolved problems are postponed for further
discussion. The minutes of the meeting should be recorded, including key
information such as the date, participants, action items, and major decisions. The
record should be distributed promptly, and in larger projects, a secretary may be
involved in taking and typing the minutes.

1. When should project status meetings be held?

a) Once a month
b) Once a day
c) Once a week
d) Once a year
Answer: c) Once a week

2. What is the purpose of project status meetings?

a) To delegate tasks to team members
b) To provide solutions to project problems
c) To review the status reports and discuss project activities
d) To schedule future meetings
Answer: c) To review the status reports and discuss project activities

3. Who prepares for the status meeting by reviewing status reports?

a) Project manager
b) Team leaders
c) Participants
d) Secretary
Answer: a) Project manager

4. How long should each participant be given to report on their team's

activities?
a) 1-2 minutes
b) 5-10 minutes
c) 15-20 minutes
d) 30-45 minutes
Answer: b) 5-10 minutes
6. What should be included in the record of the project status meeting?
a) Verbatim minutes
b) Attendance list only
c) Action items, major decisions, and items discussed
d) Future meeting schedule
Answer: c) Action items, major decisions, and items discussed

7. When should the record of the project status meeting be distributed?

a) Within a week after the meeting
b) By the end of the day
c) During the next status meeting
d) After approval from the project manager
Answer: b) By the end of the day

Software Project Management Framework

The central idea of the passage is that software project management requires a
distinct approach that combines traditional project management concepts with
software engineering concepts. The passage emphasizes the importance of
orchestrating the activities of the project participants and highlights the
responsibilities of a software project manager. It also mentions the phases and
activities involved in a software project. Additionally, the passage briefly discusses
the problems that can affect software projects and the myths surrounding software
project management.

Phases of a Software project

The central idea of the passage is that a software project is divided into multiple
phases, each representing the development of a specific part or aspect of the
software product. These phases include software requirement analysis, software
design, software planning, software construction, software testing, and software
acceptance and maintenance. Each phase has its own set of activities, and a phase
is considered complete when all activities within it are finished. The phases are
named based on the primary deliverable or objective accomplished at the end of
that phase.

1. Which phase of a software project involves gathering and analyzing user

requirements?
a) Software Design Phase
b) Software Testing Phase
c) Software Requirement Analysis Phase
 d) Software Construction Phase
Answer: c) Software Requirement Analysis Phase

2. The phase of a software project where the overall structure and

architecture of the software is defined is called:
a) Software Testing Phase
b) Software Acceptance and Maintenance Phase
c) Software Design Phase
d) Software Planning Phase
Answer: c) Software Design Phase

3. Which phase of a software project focuses on creating a detailed project

schedule, allocating resources, and defining project milestones?
a) Software Construction Phase
b) Software Planning Phase
c) Software Testing Phase
d) Software Acceptance and Maintenance Phase
Answer: b) Software Planning Phase

4. The phase of a software project where the actual coding and development
of the software takes place is known as:
a) Software Testing Phase
b) Software Acceptance and Maintenance Phase
c) Software Construction Phase
d) Software Design Phase
Answer: c) Software Construction Phase

5. Which phase of a software project involves verifying the functionality,

performance, and quality of the software?
a) Software Planning Phase
b) Software Testing Phase
c) Software Design Phase
d) Software Requirement Analysis Phase
Answer: b) Software Testing Phase

SDLC Models
The passage mentions several standard software process models, including:

1. Waterfall Model: A sequential model where each phase is completed before the
next one begins.
2. Prototyping Model: An iterative model that involves gathering customer
requirements, producing prototypes, and validating them with the customer in each
iteration.
3. Incremental Model: A combination of the linear nature of the Waterfall model
and the iterative nature of the Prototyping model. The development cycle is
divided into multiple linear sequences, with each sequence producing an increment
of the final software product.
4. Spiral Model: An evolutionary model that combines the linear and iterative
approaches. The project life cycle is divided into phases, and each phase is
executed in iterations.

1. Which characteristic of project life cycles states that the level of cost and
effort required in a software project life cycle grows larger towards the end of
the project?
a) Increasing uncertainty
b) Decreasing requests for changes in requirements
c) Increasing cost and effort
d) Decreasing external entity involvement

Answer: c) Increasing cost and effort

2. Which process model assumes that all phases in a software project are
carried out sequentially, with each phase completed before the next one
begins?
a) Waterfall model
b) Prototyping model
c) Incremental model
d) Spiral model

Answer: a) Waterfall model

3. Which process model involves an iterative cycle of gathering customer

requirements, producing prototypes, and getting them validated by the
customer?
a) Waterfall model
b) Prototyping model
c) Incremental model
d) Spiral model

Answer: b) Prototyping model

4. Which process model combines the linear nature of the Waterfall model
and the iterative nature of the Prototyping model, dividing the development
life cycle into multiple linear sequences?
a) Waterfall model
b) Prototyping model
c) Incremental model
d) Spiral model

Answer: c) Incremental model

5. Which process model combines the linear nature of the Waterfall model
and the iterative nature of the Prototyping model, executing project phases in
iterations?
a) Waterfall model
b) Prototyping model
c) Incremental model
d) Spiral model

Answer: d) Spiral model