Purpose: This study investigates how software development organizations can identify and utilize tacit knowledge effectively, aiming to develop a practical framework based on empirical data. By exploring methods for accessing and sharing tacit knowledge, the research seeks to enhance organizational efficiency and innovation in software development. Method: The study is conducted through a qualitative case study within a large software development consultancy. The analysis is based on 27 interviews, conducted with employees from the case company. These were later analyzed in a thematic analysis. Findings: We have pinpointed three barriers, alongside identifying three critical components for establishing a robust organizational framework for knowledge sharing. These include culture, empowerment, and practices. Additionally, we have categorized agile practices into socialization and externalization modes and evaluated them from a knowledge sharing perspective, investigating their respective benefits and utility for knowledge sharing in an agile software development organization. Theoretical contributions: The study adds to the literature on knowledge sharing and agile knowledge management. Providing a more practical, concrete, and defined view of how knowledge can be managed, especially in agile software development organizations and contributing with a comprehensive framework for creating a knowledge sharing organization. Practical implications: The practical implication of this study is that managers can better understand different agile tools and in which way they affect knowledge sharing in the organization so that they can be applied more accurately. The framework also provides recommendations for how the organization should be structured and different aspects to focus on to best support knowledge sharing and knowledge sharing practices. Limitations and future research: The most significant limitation is that the data was collected at one consultancy company operating in the software development industry. As such, the results might lack transferability to other industries. The study also lays a foundation for future research to go deeper into specific activities and see their effects. Keywords: Tacit Knowledge, Software Development, Knowledge Sharing, Knowledge Management, Agile Methodologies, Software Development Life Cycle.

The component-driven approach in software development has become a favored approach when developing web applications. Developing and maintaining components are central when using the component-driven approach and it has a lot of advantages. On the other hand, developing and maintaining the components within an Integrated Development Environment can be challenging due to the lack of a visual overview of the components in extensive projects. A component playground could address this issue through its features such as implementing components in isolation that could make the development more efficient and productive in different areas. With that said, it can improve the Developer Experience which is also an understudied area.  This project aims to investigate how a component playground affects the Developer Experience focusing on component creation, development workflow, and overview of the component library. Furthermore, how the integration of a component playground in the Software Development Life Cycle affects the Developer Experience. The chosen methodology was primarily user tests of an implemented web application with the component playground Storybook integrated into it. Besides the user tests, a literature review and interviews were made to support the results of the user tests. The data from the user test were used to answer the research question and the four hypotheses of this project. The results from the user test showed that the overall Developer Experience and the overview of the component library were improved using a component playground, especially for less experienced developers. It also showed a strong indication of improved component creation and more efficient development workflow.  To conclude the Developer Experience is improved by using a component playground. However, it is important to analyze each project and developer's needs. Future research could explore a component playground's long-term effects in real projects. Furthermore, there is a lack of how to measure Developer Experience which could also be investigated.

The research is conducted in the area of software methodologies with the emphasis on the integration of legacy systems with the client/server environment. The investigation starts with identifying the characteristics of legacy systems in order to determine the features and technical characteristics required of an integration methodology. A number of existing methodologies are evaluated with respect to their features and technical characteristics in order to derive a synthesis for a generic methodology. This evaluation yields the meta primitives of a generic methodology. The revised spiral model (Boehm,1986; DuPlessis & Vander Wah,1992) is customised to arrive at a software process model which provides a framework for the integration of legacy systems with the client/server environment. The integration methodology is based on this process model. / Computing / M. Sc. (Information Systems)

The research is conducted in the area of software methodologies with the emphasis on the integration of legacy systems with the client/server environment. The investigation starts with identifying the characteristics of legacy systems in order to determine the features and technical characteristics required of an integration methodology. A number of existing methodologies are evaluated with respect to their features and technical characteristics in order to derive a synthesis for a generic methodology. This evaluation yields the meta primitives of a generic methodology. The revised spiral model (Boehm,1986; DuPlessis & Vander Wah,1992) is customised to arrive at a software process model which provides a framework for the integration of legacy systems with the client/server environment. The integration methodology is based on this process model. / Computing / M. Sc. (Information Systems)

This dissertation investigates the role of specification, refinement and implementation in the software development cycle. Both the structured and object-oriented paradigms are looked at. Particular emphasis is placed on the role of the refinement process. The requirements for the product (system) are determined, the specifications are drawn up, the product is designed, specified, implemented and tested. The stage between the (formal) specification of the system and the implementation of the system is the refinement stage. The refinement process consists out of data refinement, operation refinement, and operation decomposition. In this dissertation, Z, Object-Z and UML (Unified Modelling Language) are used as specification languages and C, C++, Cobol and Object-Oriented Cobol are used as implementation languages. As an illustration a small system, The ITEM System, is specified in Z and UML and implemented in Object-Oriented Cobol. / Computing / M. Sc. (Information Systems)

Business organisations today are faced with the complex problem of dealing with evolution in their software information systems. This effectively concerns the accommodation and facilitation of change, in terms of both changing user requirements and changing technological requirements. An approach that uses the software development life-cycle as a vehicle to study the problem of evolution is adopted. This involves the stages of requirements analysis, system specification, design, implementation, and finally operation and maintenance. The problem of evolution is one requiring proactive as well as reactive solutions for any given application domain. Measuring evolvability in conceptual models and the specification of changing requirements are considered. However, even "best designs" are limited in dealing with unanticipated evolution, and require implementation phase paradigms that can facilitate an evolution correctly (semantic integrity), efficiently (minimal disruption of services) and consistently (all affected parts are consistent following the change). These are also discussed / Computing / M. Sc. (Information Systems)

The purpose of the research is to propose and evaluate a methodology for implementing EDI to assist organisations in reaping the anticipated benefits. The research involved the systematic analysis of the state of the art of EDI and paradigms of methodologies, to define a model for the EDI implementation methodology, and to define criteria for evaluating such a model. The methodology was developed and modelled utilising the software process model, as adopted by Boehm (1988) and later duPlessis and van der Walt (1992), as a framework. Next a synthesis of the assimilated knowledge and brainstorming of project teams involved in EDI pilot projects, was used to systematically develop an EDI implementation methodology. The methodology was evaluated by utilising it in the implementation of EDI between two organisations, Computer Equipment Brokers (PTY) and Marksec (PTY). It was concluded that the methodology was efficient for implementing EDI. / Computing / M. Sc. (Information Systems)

This thesis examines integration testing of object-oriented software. The process of integrating and testing procedural programs is reviewed as foundation for testing object-oriented software. The complexity of object-oriented software is examined. The relationship of integration testing and the software development life cycle is presented. Scenarios are discussed which account for the introduction of defects into the software. The Unified Modeling Language (UML) is chosen for representing pre-implementation and post-implementation models of the software. A demonstration of the technique of using post-implementation models representing the logical and physical views as an aid in integration and system testing of the software is presented. The use of UML diagrams developed from the software is suggested as a technique for integration testing of object-oriented software. The need for automating the data collection and model building is recognized. The technique is integrated into the Revised Spiral Model for Object-Oriented Software Development developed by du Plessis and van der Walt. / Computing / D.Phil. (Computer Science)

The research is conducted in the area of Software Engineering, with emphasis on the design phase of the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC). The object-oriented paradigm is the point of departure. The investigation deals with the problem of creating support for the design phase of object-oriented system development. This support must be able to guide the system designer through the design process, according to a sound design method, highlight opportunities for prototyping and point out where to re-iterate a design step, for example. A solution is proposed in the form of a knowledge-based support system. In the prototype this support guides a designer partially through the first step of the System Design task for object-oriented design. The intention is that the knowledge-based system should capture the know-how of an expert system designer and assist an inexperienced system designer to create good designs. / Computing / M. Sc. (Information Systems)

This dissertation investigates the role of specification, refinement and implementation in the software development cycle. Both the structured and object-oriented paradigms are looked at. Particular emphasis is placed on the role of the refinement process. The requirements for the product (system) are determined, the specifications are drawn up, the product is designed, specified, implemented and tested. The stage between the (formal) specification of the system and the implementation of the system is the refinement stage. The refinement process consists out of data refinement, operation refinement, and operation decomposition. In this dissertation, Z, Object-Z and UML (Unified Modelling Language) are used as specification languages and C, C++, Cobol and Object-Oriented Cobol are used as implementation languages. As an illustration a small system, The ITEM System, is specified in Z and UML and implemented in Object-Oriented Cobol. / Computing / M. Sc. (Information Systems)