摘要:

The activities of configuration management and version control are common to a number of engineering tasks. These activities are particularly important for softwae engineers, since during most of a system lifecycle they have to deal with a grwoing number of versions of a single component, and to rebuild the complete sstem in different ways using different components. These tasks are repetitive and trivial, and they reuqire a lot a manual work and accuracy. In this paper, we show how the problem of automating htese activities has been solved in a number of software development enviroments. We describe the evolution of systmes for configuration management and version control from simple stand-alone tools, such as make and SCCS (based on an underlying file system), towards more integrated systems based on a project database.

DOI:10.1049/sej.1990.0033

出版商:IEE    

年代:1990

数据来源: IET

摘要:

This paper presents some techniques that can be used for translating a LOTOS (Language Of Temporal Orfering Specification) specification into an efficient implementation. In particular, the paper focuses attention on basic LOTOS, the control aprt of LOTOS, and presents a simple algorithm to derive an abstract machnine based on a set of labelled transition systems from a basic LOTOS specification. The transition systems define interacting processes. The problem of the unbounded number of states is considered and solved, by allowing dynamic creation and destruction of processes and by adopting an appropriate consturction procedure for the transition systems. The synchronisation of the processes, according to the LOTOS multi-way rendezvous mechanism, is obtained by means of a procedure based on message transfers among the processes, thus enabling a distributed implementation.

DOI:10.1049/sej.1990.0034

出版商:IEE    

年代:1990

数据来源: IET

摘要:

In view of the growing impact of the application of computer software on human welfare, the quality of software is a topic at issue. In this paper some elementary questions relating to the subject of quality control in soft ware development are addressed. What do we menas when we speak of softwafe quality? What obstacles should be removed in order to obtain quality control? What are directions for research regarding quality control in software development? A central issue in this paper is the notion that complete objectivity in quality assessment cannot be achieved. It will be argued that the consequences of this should not be ignored if we wnat to make any progress towards the achievement of quality control. The result of our exploration into quality has been that three distinct components of quality can be identified: and objectively assessable component, as subjectively assessable component and a non-assessable component. We have argued that it would be unwise to limit our attention to any single one of these, althouh only the first is suited to be engineered.

DOI:10.1049/sej.1990.0035

出版商:IEE    

年代:1990

数据来源: IET

摘要:

This paper describes a design support system which goes beyond the support facilities offered by the current genreation of CASE tools. we have examined the entire design process, and dwe propose that the early stages of conceptual design need a more flexible system than is currently offered by existing design methods. Our tool (the Designer's Notepad (DNP)) allows rough designs to be created and design options explored. The design can be assessed, evaluated and automatically converted to the less flexible notation used in design methods for detailed development. The system is not restricted to any particular method; it allows methods to be defined and, where appropriate, to be used in parallel. Although originally built to support software design, the DNP is also suited to supportin the systems design process where functionality is split between hardware and software components.

DOI:10.1049/sej.1990.0036

出版商:IEE    

年代:1990

数据来源: IET

摘要:

This paper surveys data structures currently being used to represent the physical design of integrated circuits. They are evaluated in terms of storage requirements and processing costs. For developing a new generation of layout tools, these data structures must be reconsidered, in orfer to cope with the advances in new technologies such as gallium arsenide and integrated optics. Therefore, the potentialities of these data stuctures in handling new layout requirements are investigated; for example in representing computer-generated holograms for optical conncection of VLSI

DOI:10.1049/sej.1990.0037

出版商:IEE    

年代:1990

数据来源: IET

摘要:

Based on software metrics data from alarge (19 working-years)software development project, a number of analyses have been carried out. The results reveal the causes for cost overruns, show how effort planning can be refined during developemt, and identify a relationship between the quality of the design documents and the effort consumed for their production. This given an insight into the development process and establishes norms for interpreting metrics values obtained in future projects. In this way, it is a first step for a company towards increasing its software development process maturity level.

DOI:10.1049/sej.1990.0038

出版商:IEE    

年代:1990

数据来源: IET