CSCI 306: Software Engineering

Professor: Mark Baldwin
Telephone: 303-384-2486
Room: BB 312
Email: baldwin@mines.edu

Suggested Textbooks:

The following books are recommended but not required.

• Agile Software Development, Principles, Patterns and Practices, by Robert C Martin, Prentice Hall, 0-13-597444-5
• Java Concepts, 5th Edition, by Cay Horstmann, Wiley and Sons, 2008, ISBN 978-0-470-10555-9 (NOTE: earlier edition is OK)
• UML Distilled: A Brief Guide to the Standard Object Modeling Language, Third Edition, by Martin Fowler. Addison-Wesley 2004, ISBN 0-321-19368-7

Class Description

This course is intended to make the student a better software programmer by introducing the processes and considerations of Software Engineering. The student will learn to plan and execute iterative programming projects in groups, critique (and improve) existing code, and learn the basics of widely used software engineering processes and techniques (including Agile Development and UML). Assignments will not be restricted to coding, and should encourage students to think as software engineers, rather than individual programmers.

Why Java?

3 hours lecture; 3 semester hours.

Prerequisites

CSCI262 with a grade of C- or higher.

Class Topics

The following are some of the primary topics:

Software Development Practices:

• Know the values, principles, and practices of the Agile design process
• Experience the benefits of Paired Programming
• Understand Test-Drive Development (TDD)
• Be able to identify "rot" in code, and know how to refactor to improve
• Learn event-driven programing in Java
• Be exposed to design principles and patterns

Software Engineering Process Tools:

• Use version control (git) to support team programming projects
• use UML (uniform modeling language) to explore and communicate design decisions

Course Format

The class is of a flipped format. This means that the student is required to do preparatory work, including video lectures along with other work before class. The class itself will generally be of the form of a short introductory discussion/lecture and then in-class exercises and coding assignments. There will be one mid-term exam and one final exam.

Software development is generally a group effort, and this class will encourage discussion and collaboration among all class attendees. The schedule will be flexible, and additional topics will be introduced at various points in the semester.