Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Software engineering lies at the heart of the computer revolution. Software is used in automobiles, airplanes, and many home appliances. As the boundaries between the telecommunications, entertainment, and computer industries continue to blur in multimedia and networking, the need for software will only increase, and software will become increasingly complex. Introduction to Software Engineering gives your students the fundamentals of this growing and rapidly changing field.

The book highlights the goals of software engineering, namely to write programs that have all the following attributes: efficient, reliable, usable, modifiable, portable, testable, reusable, maintainable, compatible and correct. The nine chapters cover topics that include project management, defining requirements, software design, coding, testing and integration, delivery and installation, documentation, maintenance, and research issues.

The author uses a hybrid approach, combining object-oriented technology and classical programming techniques to solve computing problems. He also places a strong emphasis on Internet technology and resources. A simple, but non-trivial, running example illustrates all stages of the software engineering process. In addition, where applicable, he covers the impact of Internet technology.

Introduction to Software Engineering presents the basics of software engineering in a concise and direct format. With emphasis on Internet technology, software tools for programming, and hands-on learning, this book effectively prepares students to move from an educational situation towards applying their knowledge to the complex projects faced in the professional arena.



Features

Reviews provided by Syndetics

CHOICE Review

In its second edition, Leach's work can best be described as a traditional text on software engineering. The book is conventionally organized in its presentation of the phases of software engineering. However, it is quite modern in its treatment of those phases with the author's early introduction of eight different approaches to the software life cycle. Nine chapters address various aspects of software engineering. The introductory chapter provides an overview of software engineering and different approaches to the software life cycle: the classical waterfall, rapid prototyping, the spiral model, agile programming, and others. Further chapters discuss project management tools, techniques and metrics associated with performing requirements analysis, and the software development process. However, the discussion of the development process is generically covered and does not provide significant details associated with specific programming languages or software systems. The following chapters explain how to uniformly and completely document the software system and emphasize the role of quality documentation. Each chapter offers further readings and contains suggested exercises. There are extended references and an excellent index. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through professionals and practitioners. --John Beidler, University of Scranton