Roles of Each Individual Member in Their Process of Developing the Software Program - Essay Example

Software Team Project Initial Report Table of Contents 0 Introduction 3 2.0 Team Roles 3 3.0 Maintaining Customer Relations 5 4.0 Software Development Methodology 6 5.0 Time Management 9 6.0 Risk Management 9 7.0 Quality Assurance 10 8.0 Software Testing and Debugging 10 9.0 Bibliography 12 Appendix 13 1.0 Introduction Software engineering involves the construction of software projects and their management. These projects are in both small and large scales. Typically, software systems need to be developed in terms of a phased manner. It is suggested, by Brooks in one of his famous articles, that software systems need to hardly be built but rather be grown. With this regard, four students from the Computer Science Department in Swansea University initiated the “Nitro” Company with an attempt to make a computer software game. The game was given the title, CONNECT 4, and was developed with the use of the department’s software engineering and methodology concepts. This report entails the different roles of each individual member in their process of developing the software program. The report goes on to explain the software engineering concepts to be used in the game development in details. 2.0 Team Roles Table 2.1: Team Roles Team Number Team Role Skills 1 Uzeozi The Customer Manager Skills in Customer relations 2 Haya The Design Manager Skills in Design documentation 3 Hassan The Implementation manager Proficient in Software Implementation 4 Akshay The Test Manager Knowledge in Software Testing Figure 2.1: Team Roles 2.1 Customer Interface Manager The customer interface manager has a task of ensuring a good relationship between customers and the team. This happens by considering the requirement specifications that would enable the software design and ensuring adequate freedom from ambiguities (Dix, 1998). 2.2 Design Manager The design manager is obligated to follow the standards of the design documentation in order to present excellent quality of the documentation as well as understanding the problem fully. A full understanding of the problem would enhance its expansion (Sage, 2011). The team members would also be able to provide possible and better solutions. 2.3 Implementation Manager The implementation manager has the obligation of ensuring that members are within the same Java programming level. Given that this is hardly the case, the team member are to be given tutorial videos or books in order to improve their knowledge and extend it as well. The task also include identifying libraries with useful code pieces to reuse it and ensure that the entire project and its implementation are done at a specified time. 2.4 Test and Quality Manager This manager is obligated to test the created software and guide the testing team. The leader in this case need to understand the testing disciplines and the best way of implementing a testing process that the manager ensured. 3.0 Maintaining Customer Relations All software applications, which are successful, require a plan. This implies that whenever a customer is contacting a team for a given product the team first draws out a plan about the same. The planning is done as follows: The manager of the customer gets the needed specifications from the respective customer and then documents it. The customer manager, for ambiguities clarification based on the required specifications, further observes the document. The design manager keenly investigates the document in order to ensure that the documentation is of high quality and standards. The issues in this case are tackled in terms of the skills exhibited by team members in designing a method during the process. Implementation manager is eager to enter the action phase. Generally, there seems to be a relationship, which is strong, between the implementation manager and the design manager. This is because the two are obligated to ensure that the design is of high quality mainly for future customers or users, although they do this in different ways. While the implementation manager checks on the team members’ competences including any cases of loopholes, the design manager looks for a solution to such problems after which he/she studies the document fully to facilitate clarity and simplicity. This ensures an easy implementation by the team members. The test manager again has the responsibility on the implemented design. He/she draws the testing process map for the design and plans the team’s integrated test strategy. The planning/ quality manager has a critical task in organizing all team members especially for regular meetings as well as discussions. This manager makes the design’s plan, which is in-depth in the attempt of ensuring a well-documented implementation. The team in this case collaborates and works together in order to create the system’s subset to receive early feedbacks from the customers. This aspect adds high standard features whenever necessary and according to customers’ demands. At first, the tam works on the functionality before turning to the performance. Finally, it delivers the initial prototype, adding effort incrementally to convert the prototype to a meaningful product. 4.0 Software Development Methodology In the case of the software developers, a methodology can be referred to as a class, which could be instantiated for a given project. Typically, a methodology family may be likened to a namespace of different classes that are conversely comparable. Methodology frameworks are like abstract classes that can hardly be instantiated and have to be first inherited and extended. Lastly, a methodology model could be likened to an interface, which is only a description of an aspect that has to be implemented by a single or multiple classes (Appelo, 2008). In developing the code, Microsoft Windows 7 is used alongside other software programs. These are as follows: Used Technology : Java Development Kit [JDK 1.6] (JAVA), version 1.7 Platform : Eclipse Juno Other Software : YED Graph Editor, documentation in Microsoft Word, and Smart Draw [UML Diagrams] The project code would be written in JAVA. Eclipse would be chosen as the project platform to create, to compile, and to develop a code for the game. The eclipse contains several great features, which include classes as well as numerous tools useful to JAVA developer in creating JAVA EE as well as Web applications. This platform is mainly chosen because it has important features, which are useful in the game development process (Dix, 1998). The features are capable of the following: Ignoring errors/warnings selectively from source folders Enhancing diagnostics for detecting incomplete switch statements Having new options for detecting resource leaks Having new warning options for Batch Compiler 4.1 Software Development Lifecycle Waterfall model is useful for the prevailing purpose. The model is considered a design process that is sequential and used in the development of web applications. The model also helps in demonstrating various stages of developing the software application in this case. The waterfall model is advantageous because each stage in the model has both a start and an end date (Sage, 2011). The early time that is spent on design and requirements saves later efforts of correcting the application. The model’s next stage can hardly be invoked until the first stage is completed. This implies that the waterfall model ensures that all stages are completed in order to achieve a complete application; a game application in this case. The model focuses mainly on both documentation and coding. The model is as illustrated below: Figure 5.1: Waterfall Model Depicting its Five Stages The model’s stages are explained as follows (Smith & Pichler, 2005): ANALYSIS: This stage generates the application requirements. In the stage, determination of deliverables is done. It provides a platform for exploring the options of the development technology. The stage ensures the analysis of the proposed solutions’ feasibility. In the case of game application, external resources applied include intrusion detection system and security codes. DESIGN: This stage acts as the blueprint for the game application design due to the creation of the structure as well as data flow in the application. It is the foundation for the primary design of web pages’ interface. It includes database design, interface design, and security features design (Smith & Pichler, 2005). Two database designs are created, which include file and user databases. The interface design has a main page that is divided into three tabs; HOME, ABOUT, and FEATURES which are attributed to login, registering, and viewing/adding files respectively. The security feature design involves external resources like ENCRYPTION, INTRUSION DETECTION SYSTEM, and DECRYPTION. CODING: This stage involves actualizing the project in order to provide the application prototype. It involves features like technology (JAVA), external resources (Encryption Decryption and Intrusion Detection system), data flow diagram, and tools (eclipse or netbeans). TESTING: This stage involves checking the game application functionality using two types of testing techniques. These include the black box testing and the white box testing. MAINTENANCE: This stage involves upgrading and improving the system. Rectification of errors and bugs is done in this stage when web application is working. The upgrades include database and security upgrade as well as interface maintenance. 5.0 Time Management Management of time is a key requirement in the development process of all projects. Time management determines the time completion of a project and its scope. It involves the planning and the exercise of conscious management of the time spent in developing and implementing a software program. In the case of the game software, the project plan is based on the meeting protocol of Bob. Bob’s meeting protocol plays an important role in the generation of a successful project (Robert, 2010). The protocol helps in making a structured meeting plan according to Robert (2010). A structured meeting plan would be made for this application and it would contain a number of information, which includes: i. Meeting date in terms of the project’s starting and ending time ii. The name of every person iii. The discussion topic iv. A progress list v. A to-do list The following applications would be used as well: i. Google group and Facebook group for contacting each other ii. Drop box and emails for file exchange 6.0 Risk management Risk management can be referred to as a technique of managing risks. Risk management is mainly applied with an aim of decreasing likelihood of uncertainties that are associated with events. It aims at reducing undesired hassles within a project. Decision-making is the critical feature in risk management. In the case of the game development, the team is required to be in a position of dealing various risks in the projects future. They have to consider the following aspects according to Smith (2005): i. The risk’s time frame ii. The loss frequency iii. Nature and the probability of the risk occurrence iv. The predicted loss given the occurrence of the risk 7.0 Quality Assurance Quality assurance involves a planned as well as a systematic pattern of the actions considered as necessary in providing confidence in products conformity to the technical requirements that are established. It has two principles, which include being fit for a specified purpose and right for the first time. Being fit for a purpose is a principle that ensures that a product is suitable for the specified purpose. The second principle refers to the elimination of mistakes. Quality assurance manages raw materials quality, assemblies and product quality, as well as the quality of all components and services that are related to production. It also manages processes of production and inspection. 8.0 Software Testing and Debugging 8.1 Software Testing Software testing involves the assessment of computer software quality. It is a technical investigation, which is empirical and conducted with an aim of providing information about product or service quality to stakeholders depending on the operating context (Smith & Pichler, 2005). The testing methods, which are commonly used, are divided into the following: Black Box : The testing process in this case treats the computer software as if it were a black box with hardly any understanding of the internal behaviour. This testing technique tests the functionality in accordance with the requirements. The tester inputs the data, but can only see the output from the object being tested. White box : The tester in this case can access to the internal structures of the data, the codes, and the algorithms. This testing technique includes the creation of tests for satisfying some coverage criteria for the code. The test designer may come up with tests in order to initiate the execution of all program statements. The Testing process can be initiated in various ways, which include unit testing, integration testing, and system testing. These are explained as follows: Unit Testing: It tests minimal component of software or a module. Every unit is a basic component and is tested in order to verify whether the unit’s detailed design has been implemented correctly. Integration Testing: This exposes all defects within interfaces as well as interaction between components or modules that are integrated. Large and progressive groups for the software component that correspond to the architectural design elements are integrated and then tested until the software application works as a system. System Testing: This tests a system that is completely integrated to ensure that it has met all the requirements. 8.2 Debugging Debugging involves the process of testing to establish any error presence symptoms as an indication of a program failure. An investigation is initiated soon after a symptom is established. This is done to locate the detected error by finding out the module or interface that is causing the error. The specific code section is studied to establish the problem cause. Typically, debugging entails all activities of finding and correcting possible errors. It has to be initiated as described for best results. 9.0 Bibliography Appelo, Jurgen. 2008. Software Development Methodologies. Available: http://agile.dzone.com/articles/software-development-methodolo. Last accessed 6th Feb 2013. Dix, A. 1998. Human-computer interaction: Prentice Hall Europe. Robert S. Laramee. 2010. Bob’s Minutes of Meeting Protocol: Available: http://cs.​ swan.ac.uk​/~csbob/te​aching/cs2​35-softEng​/laramee06​minutes.pd​f. Last accessed 7th Feb 2013. Sage, A.P. and W.B. 2011. Rouse, Handbook of Systems Engineering and Management: John Wiley & Sons. Smith P. G. and Pichler R. 2005. Agile Risks/Agile Rewards, Software Development Magazine, 50-53. Software Process Models. Jones and Bartlett Publishers. Chapter 4. P4-6. Appendix In this program, my responsibilities include implementation of the design because I am the implementation manager. The aim implementing the code design is to make the CONNECT 4 game very powerful and successful. I have a task of understanding the specifications provided by the application design manager in which I will develop the game application’s robust code. The main aim would be developing a simple code whereby I would try to not to make a complicated code. Given that the project work is divided among four managers, my task would account for 25% of the entire project. Read More