Unit 6 software engineering

PREVIEW

Task 1. Work in groups. Put these five stages of programming in the correct sequence. Compare your lists with other students in the class.

1. Design a solution

2. Code the program

3. Document and maintain the program

4. Clarify the problem

5. Test the program

Task 2. Work in groups. Decide to which stage each of these steps belongs. Compare your lists with other students in the class.

1. Clarify objectives and users

2. Debug the program

3. Write programmer documentation

4. Do a structured walkthrough

5. Select the appropriate programming language

READING

Task 3. Study active vocabulary.

software engineering	разработка программного обеспечения, программирование
software solution	программный продукт
systems analyst	системный аналитик
to modify	модифицировать, видоизменять
to meet requirements	отвечать требованиям
feasibility	возможность осуществления
to clarify	разъяснять, вносить ясность
to consider	рассматривать, учитывать, принимать во внимание
solution	решение (проблемы, задачи)
to code	кодировать
to maintain	поддерживать, обслуживать
to establish	установить (вину, контакт, факт)
experience	опыт
specification	характеристики, спецификация
suitable	подходящий

Task 4. Read and translate the text. Find the answers to the questions.

1. What is software engineering?

2. Who is a systems analyst?

3. What are the stages involved in producing a program?

4. What is included into systems analysts work?

5. Who should be interviewed by systems analysts?

6. Which factors should be established during the interview?

Designing high quality software

Software engineering is the discipline of designing high quality software solutions. A systems analyst is a person who designs or modifies information systems to meet users' requirements. This includes investigating feasibility and cost, producing documentation, and testing prototypes of the system. Producing a program, therefore, involves a number of stages including:

1. clarifying the problem by considering the requirements of the potential user;

2. designing the solution to the problem by first deciding on the overall structure of the solution;

3. coding the program by first choosing an appropriate programming language and inputting the program code;

4. testing and debugging the program;

5. documenting and maintaining the program including writing instructions for using the program.

Systems analysts first need to talk to the people involved in the computing problem, including the people managing the system and the users or potential users of the system. They need to establish factors such as:

1. the nature of the problem;

2. what systems already exist;

3. to what extent any existing systems are computerized;

4. what output will be required from the system;

5. who will be using the system and what parts of the system they need to be able to use;

6. the computing experience of the staff and what training would be required;

7. what hardware already exists and what would need to be added, including the specification of the hardware and whether a network system is required.

They then have to plan the structure of the solution and check it through with the people involved to make sure it meets their requirements. Next, they have to choose a suitable programming language and write the program, continually testing and adapting it until it works to the satisfaction of the customer and users. The system then has to be put into service and the users have to be trained. This involves documenting the program specifications and writing instructions for using the system.

Task 5. Are these statements true, false, or not mentioned in the text? Correct the false statements.

1. Programmers write programs in programming languages.

2. Clarifying the problem by considering the requirements of the potential user is very important.

3. Documenting and maintaining the program includes inputting the program code.

4. Systems analysts discuss the nature of the problem with potential users of the system.

5. There are several factors which systems analysts should establish.

6. The computing experience of the staff and what training would be required must be taken into consideration.

7. Systems analysts present the structure of the solution to their bosses.

8. The users have to be trained how to use the program.

Task 6. Give the Russian equivalents to the following words and phrases from the text. Choose five of them and make up sentences of your own. Read your sentences aloud for other students to translate.

To design software solutions, to write programs, investigating feasibility and cost, to produce documentation, to consider the requirements, solution to the problem, to code the program, programming language, to test the program, to maintain the program, to establish factors, specification of the hardware.

Task 7.Match the words and word-combinations on the left with the definitions on the right.

program	identifying and fixing any problems or faults in the program code
data	the physical components of a computer system
debugging the program	the processed data or signals that come out of a computer system
computerized	the material that has to be processed
output	a system where a number of computers and peripheral devices are connected together
hardware	changed so that they can be operated or controlled using a computer
network system	sets of instructions for controlling a computer

Task 8.Translate the sentences into English using active vocabulary.

1. Создание программной продукции – очень увлекательная работа.

2. Программисты пишут программы на разных компьютерных языках.

3. Компания провела исследование возможности производства и затрат на выпуск новой продукции и представила необходимую документацию.

4. Важно принимать во внимание требования потенциальных пользователей.

5. Мы нашли решение проблемы обслуживания нашего нового ПО.

6. Выбор языка программирования важен для кодирования программы.

7. У специалистов по программному обеспечению большой опыт в тестировании программ.

8. Системным аналитикам необходимо установить такой фактор как технические характеристики аппаратного оборудования.

LANGUAGE WORK