Thesis (MTech (Business Information Systems))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2017. / Ensuring that predetermined quality standards are met is an issue which software development companies, and the software development industry at large, is having issues in attaining. The software testing process is an important process within the larger software development process, and is done to ensure that software functionality meets user requirements and software defects are detected and fixed prior to users receiving the developed software. Software testing processes have progressed to the point where there are formal processes, dedicated software testing resources and defect management software in use at software development organisations. The research determined implications that the case study software development organisation could face when deviating from software testing processes, with a focus on function performed by the software tester role. The analytical dimensions of duality of structure framework, based on Structuration Theory, was used as a lens to understand and interpret the socio-technical processes associated with software development processes at the case study organisation. Results include the identification of software testing processes, resources and tools, together with the formal software development processes and methodologies being used. Critical e-commerce website functionality and software development resource costs were identified. Tangible and intangible costs which arise due to software defects were also identified. Recommendations include the prioritisation of critical functionality for test execution for the organisation’s e-commerce website platform. The necessary risk management should also be undertaken in scenarios with time constraints on software testing, which balances risk with quality, features, budget and schedule. Numerous process improvements were recommended for the organisation, to assist in preventing deviations from prescribed testing processes. A guideline was developed as a research contribution to illustrate the relationships of the specific research areas and the impact on software project delivery.

A gestão da comunicação em ambientes distribuídos para o desenvolvimento de software (DDS) é um tema que tem sido investigado a fim de garantir a consistência dos cenários de colaboração. Como este assunto é relativamente recente, e envolve questões técnicas e humanas, é comum que novos conceito e características do processo de comunicação em DDS sejam levantadas. Neste sentido, este trabalho objetivou criar um protocolo a fim de estruturar a comunicação em ambientes DDS. A validação das hipóteses que o subsidiaram se deu por meio de experimentação, que foi realizada por meio de atividades realizadas por alunos do curso de pós-graduação em informática (PPGI) da Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná- Campus Cornélio Procópio. Para experimento configurou-se o ambiente de modo que este tivesse as características de um ambiente distribuído. Propôs-se uma atividade que consistia em um conjunto de subatividades, que deveriam ser realizadas por cada grupo de alunos, que estavam fisicamente separados, que os obrigou a utilizarem ferramentas de comunicação síncronas e assíncronas. Ao final do experimento, atingiu-se as expectativas, pois conseguiu-se estruturar a comunicação em camadas hierárquicas, que configurou e definiu o protocolo de comunicação em projetos de DDS. / The communication management in environments for distributed software development (DSD) has been investigated to ensure the consistency of collaboration scenarios. As a recent topic that involves technical and human issues, new concepts and processes of communication in DSD have been raised. Thus, this study presents a protocol to structure communication in DSD environments. The protocol was defined using the validation of hypotheses in an experiment, which was conducted by means of activities performed by master students in computer science. In the experiment, we set up the environment that had the characteristics of a distributed environment. It was proposed an project consisting of a set of activities to be carried out by groups of students. Each group was physically separated, forcing them to use synchronous and asynchronous communication tools. At the end, the expectations were met since we were able to structure the communication in hierarchical layers, setting up and defining the communication protocol in DSD projects.

A gestão da comunicação em ambientes distribuídos para o desenvolvimento de software (DDS) é um tema que tem sido investigado a fim de garantir a consistência dos cenários de colaboração. Como este assunto é relativamente recente, e envolve questões técnicas e humanas, é comum que novos conceito e características do processo de comunicação em DDS sejam levantadas. Neste sentido, este trabalho objetivou criar um protocolo a fim de estruturar a comunicação em ambientes DDS. A validação das hipóteses que o subsidiaram se deu por meio de experimentação, que foi realizada por meio de atividades realizadas por alunos do curso de pós-graduação em informática (PPGI) da Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná- Campus Cornélio Procópio. Para experimento configurou-se o ambiente de modo que este tivesse as características de um ambiente distribuído. Propôs-se uma atividade que consistia em um conjunto de subatividades, que deveriam ser realizadas por cada grupo de alunos, que estavam fisicamente separados, que os obrigou a utilizarem ferramentas de comunicação síncronas e assíncronas. Ao final do experimento, atingiu-se as expectativas, pois conseguiu-se estruturar a comunicação em camadas hierárquicas, que configurou e definiu o protocolo de comunicação em projetos de DDS. / The communication management in environments for distributed software development (DSD) has been investigated to ensure the consistency of collaboration scenarios. As a recent topic that involves technical and human issues, new concepts and processes of communication in DSD have been raised. Thus, this study presents a protocol to structure communication in DSD environments. The protocol was defined using the validation of hypotheses in an experiment, which was conducted by means of activities performed by master students in computer science. In the experiment, we set up the environment that had the characteristics of a distributed environment. It was proposed an project consisting of a set of activities to be carried out by groups of students. Each group was physically separated, forcing them to use synchronous and asynchronous communication tools. At the end, the expectations were met since we were able to structure the communication in hierarchical layers, setting up and defining the communication protocol in DSD projects.

Orientador: Cecilia Mary Fischer Rubira / Dissertação (mestrado profissional) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Computação / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-07T00:50:23Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Pinho_HelderdeSousa_M.pdf: 1255692 bytes, checksum: 91ab06629ddbbf4b6885b93010e3511f (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006 / Resumo: O desenvolvimento baseado em componente (DBC) pennite que uma aplicação seja construída pela composição de componentes de software que já foram previamente especificados, construídos e testados, resultando em ganhos de produtividade e qualidade no software produzido. Para haver reuso de componentes, é necessário que usuários consIgam procurar e recuperar componentes previamente especificados ou implementados Um repositório de componentes é essencial para possibilitar tal reuso. Interoperabilidade é um requisito importante para repositórios, mas nem todas as ferramentas a tratam com a devida relevância. O modelo de metadados de um repositório para DBC deve contemplar características de componentes, tais como interface e separação entre especificação e implementação. Este trabalho apresentou o Rigel, um repositório de bens de software reutilizáveis com suporte para desenvolvimento baseado em componentes. O Rigel apresenta características que facilitam atividades executadas durante o desenvolvimento de sistemas baseados em componentes, tais como pesquisa, armazenamento e recuperação de bens e integração com CVS. O padrão RAS foi adotado como o fonnato de metadados e de empacotamento de bens, facilitando a integração do Rigel com outros sistemas. O modelo de metadados do RAS foi estendido para apoiar um modelo conceitual de componentes e arquitetura de software. Esta adaptação resultou na criação de quatro novos profiles RAS, para apoiar bens relacionados à DBC: componente abstrato, componente concreto, interface e configuração arquitetural. Um estudo de caso foi conduzido a fim de mostrar como o Rigel apóia um processo de desenvolvimento baseado em componentes. Conclui-se que as características do repositório Rigel facilitam um desenvolvimento baseado em componentes / Abstract: The component based development (CBD) permits an application to be built by composition of previously specified, build and tested components, resulting in increases in productivity and quality of the produced software. 1n order to make the reuse of components happen, it is necessary that users are able to search and retrieve previously specified or implemented components. A component repository is important to support this reuse. 1nteroperability is an important requirement for repositories, but not alI the tools consider it with the required relevance. The metadata model of a CBD repository must handle components features, such as interface and separation between specification and implementation. This work presents Rigel, a repository of reusable software assets with a support for component based development. Rigel presents features that make activities performed during the development of component based systems easier, such as search, storage and retrieval of assets and CVS integration. RAS standard was adopted as the asset metadata and packaging format, making Rigel integration with other systems easier. The RAS metadata model was extended to support a conceptual model of components and software architecture. This adaptation resulted in the creation of four new RAS profiles to support CBD related assets: abstract component, concrete component, interface and architectural configuration. A case study was conducted in order to show how Rigel supports a CBD processo We also conclude that Rigel repository features make the component based development easier / Mestrado / Engenharia de Computação / Mestre em Computação

Submitted in fulfillment of the academic requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Information Technology, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2016. / Motivated by the literature regarding the need for further research on client participation in software development, a systemic framework for the understanding of client requirements in Information System development projects is developed. This systemic framework is particularly relevant for project contexts characterized by diversity of stakeholder values and complexity. To address this complexity, research led to the selection of methods from three systems methodologies and the conclusion for the need to mix them in the process of requirements understanding by clients. The mixing of methods from various methodologies is justified through the principles of Critical Systems Practice, and the process of their use is guided by Action Design Research. In spite of the strong research tradition associated with Soft Systems Methodology and the growing interest in the Work System Method, the level of use of these by practitioners is not high because complex project situations require harnessing of the strengths of more than one methodology. The proposed framework also includes a third system methodology Critical Systems Heuristics. This study demonstrated how the meta-methodology Critical Systems Practice is applied in justifying the selection and the mix of methods from the above three methodologies in the proposed framework. The principles of design science were applied, where the framework is the design artifact that is developed. Action Research was used to guide evaluation of the framework in the pilot study. The framework was applied in a pilot study to the understanding of the management of a Wellness Centre which operates within the Kenneth Gardens Housing Estate, through action research. As a result of the pilot study some modifications were made to the framework and the process of its implementation. The modified framework was applied in a further main study concerning the management of the Kenneth Gardens Housing Estate which has a broader context than the pilot study. The contribution of this research to the field of Information Systems is both theoretical and practical. One theoretical contribution is provision of a framework for clearer understanding of software requirements by clients. The second theoretical contribution is that Action Design Research is enhanced by adding proper justification for the methods included in the framework through the application of Critical Systems Thinking and Critical Systems Practice. The practical contribution is through the demonstration of Action Design Research being applied to a real-world problem in both the pilot and the main study. / D

The C Navigational System (CNS) is a proposed programming environment for the C programming language. The introduction covers the major influences of programming environments and the components of a programming environment. The system is designed to support the design, coding and maintenance phases of software development. CNS provides multiple views to both the source and documentation for a programming project. User-defined and system-defined links allow the source and documentation to be hierarchically searched. CNS also creates a history list and function interface for each function in a module. The final chapter compares CNS and several other programming environments (Microscope, Rn, Cedar, PECAN, and Marvel).

No description available.

The development of enterprise software is a complex activity that requires a diverse set of stakeholders to communicate and coordinate in order to achieve a successful outcome. In this dissertation I introduce a high-level physical architecture for a platform titled FeatureIT that has the goal of supporting the collaboration between stakeholders throughout the entire Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC). FeatureIT is the result of unifying the theoretical foundations of the multi-disciplinary field of Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW) with the paradigm and associated technologies of Web 2.0. The architecture was borne out a study of literature in the fields of CSCW, Web 2.0 and software engineering, which facilitated the identification of functional and non-functional requirements necessary for the platform. The design science research methodology was employed to construct this architecture iteratively to satisfy the requirements while validating its efficacy against a comprehensive set of scenarios that typically occur in the SDLC. / Computing / M. Sc. (Information Systems)

MCom (Business Information Systems) / Deparment of Business Information Systems / The extent of success of a given project can be increased by using an appropriate Project Management Methodology (PMM) that takes into account the specific characteristics of the project (such as complexity, size, budget, nature of risk, etc.). PMMs have evolved over the years to become more diverse, complex, with evolving and dynamic ICT platforms. Such PMMs have traditionally been used as frameworks to guide the project management process for decision makers (such as Project Managers, Project Owners and Project Teams). The choice of selecting an appropriate project methodology is daunting; apart from other considerations related to project characteristics such as budget, scope, schedule, performance and resource constraints. One of the vital stages of a successful software development project is selecting a good software development methodology that best suits that project. The aim of this research is to investigate the critical factors to be considered by project managers in the selection of the software development methodology for the project. These critical factors are then used as a foundation for an architecture for an “unbounded rule-based expert system. A survey was conducted amongst project managers to determine the critical factors necessary for the selection of a software development methodology. From the findings of the study, it was established the critical factors revolved around three constructs of Project Excellence Enablers, Excellent Project Management Practices, and Business Value Proposition factors. The findings from this study therefore provided a rationale and a basis for the evolution of an “Unbounded Rule-Based Expert Systems Architecture” as a basis for the selection of the right software development methodology / NRF

M. Tech. (Department of Information and Communication Technology, Faculty of Applied and Computer Sciences), Vaal University of Technology. / There are many software development methodologies that are used to control the process of developing a software system. However, no exact system has been found which could help software engineers in selecting the best software development methodology (SDM). The increasing complexity of software development today has led to complex management of software systems. This complexity increases the challenges faced by professionals in selecting the most appropriate SDM to adopt in a project. This is important because the wrong choice of methodology is costly for the organization as it may impact on deliveries, maintenance costs, budget projects and reliability. In this study we propose a decision support framework to assist professionals in the selection of appropriate software development methodologies that would fit each organisation and project setting. The case based reasoning (CBR) methodology was implemented in this study. This methodology focuses on problem solving that centres on the reutilization of past experiences. The CBR methodology was implemented using the SQL programming language. We tested the precision of the decision support framework by comparing the recommended methodology to the actual software methodology that was adopted for the project. The DS framework recorded an 80% precision result. In addition, the findings contribute to reducing the software crisis faced by today’s professionals. Therefore the framework can be adopted as a reliable tool for methodology selection in software development projects.