Details the different activities of software development with a case-study approach whereby a project is developed through the course of the book The sequence of chapters is essentially the same as the sequence of activities performed during a typical software project.

An Integrated Approach to Software Engineering

McCabe's cyclomatic complexity metric (1976) is widely cited as a useful predictor of various software attributes such as reliability and development effort This critique demonstrates that it is based upon poor theoretical foundations and an inadequate model of software development The argument that the metric provides the developer with a useful engineering approximation is not borne out by the empirical evidence Furthermore, it would appear that for a large class of software it is no more than a proxy for, and in many cases is outperformed by, lines of code<
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A critique of cyclomatic complexity as a software metric

Metrics for requirements engineering

Service engineering

Developers and designers always strive for quality software. Quality software tends to be robust, reliable and easy to maintain, and thus reduces the cost of software development and maintenance. Several methods have been applied to improve software quality. Refactoring is one of those methods. The goal of this paper is to validate/invalidate the claims that refactoring improves software quality. We focused this study on different external quality attributes, which are adaptability, maintainability, understandability, reusability, and testability. We found that refactoring does not necessarily improve these quality attributes.

Empirical investigation of refactoring effect on software quality

Numerous treatises exist that define appropriate qualities that should be exhibited by a well written software requirements specification (SRS). In most cases these are vaguely defined. The paper explores thoroughly the concept of quality in an SRS and defines attributes that contribute to that quality. Techniques for measuring these attributes are suggested. >

Identifying and measuring quality in a software requirements specification

A method for judging the reusability of C++ code components and for assessing indirect quality attributes from the direct attributes measured by an automated tool was demonstrated. The method consisted of two phases. The first phase identified and analytically validated a set of measurements for assessing direct quality attributes based on measurement theory. An automated tool was used to compute actual measures for a repository of C++ classes. A taxonomy relating reuse, indirect quality attributes, and measurements identified and validated during the first part of this research was defined. The second phase consisted of identifying and validating a set of measurements for assessing indirect quality attributes. A case study of the feasibility of applying direct measurements to assess the indirect quality attributes was conducted. The comparison and analysis of indirect quality attributes measured by human analysis with direct quality attributes measured by the automated tool provided empirical evidence that the two sets of quality attributes, direct and indirect, do correlate.

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A method for assessing the reusability of object-oriented code using a validated set of automated measurements

This paper provides a brief overview of Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) and an explanation of how the Department of Defense Architecture Framework (DoDAF) can be used to describe a SOA. DoDAF uses IEEE 1471 definition of an architecture description to define a standard approach to describing, presenting, and integrating a DoD architecture that can be used with a service oriented approach to capability based planning. The principal objective of the Framework is to ensure that architecture descriptions can be compared and related across organizational boundaries, including Joint and multi-national boundaries. SOA is an architectural approach to application integration that enables flexible connectivity of applications or resources implemented as services. Such services have well-defined, platform-independent specifications that hide the underlying technical complexity of the environment (encapsulation), are self-contained (loosely coupled), and reusable. Capability based planning involves identifying required capabilities, their desired effects, and the ways (operational activities) and means (human functions or system services), as well as the conditions ands standards under which the capability is required. Creating DoDAF architecture descriptions that are capability based and service oriented supports globalization and the integration of geographically dispersed organizations (Net-centricity).

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Tailoring DoDAF For Service-Oriented Architectures

Organizations are changing their emphasis from “We need a new system” to “We need to achieve a specific outcome.” As these outcomes become more difficult to define and the associated systems more complex, the management, modeling and simulation of these SoS becomes equally challenging. Often, the SoS is modeled in all its complexity, at a single level of abstraction or level of detail. Instead of a “mega-model” approach, a standards-based, layered “model of models” (MOM) approach is what is necessary. This paper discusses use of the Object Management Group (OMG) Unified Profile for DoDAF and MODAF (UPDM) for architecture modeling. UPDM supports a MOM approach by enabling the development of integrated model layers such as an outcomes model layer and a component layer. An integrated, layered MOM is in keeping with the Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) approach. The model layers can be referenced when detailed analysis is required, or hidden when a SoS viewpoint is required.

UAF for system of systems modeling

The modeling and simulation (M&S) landscape for systems engineers is complex. This complexity is due to a variety of factors including the diversity of system components over a range of domains which are modeled at multiple scales using varied modeling formalisms. There is a need to chain system models developed using varying formalisms, resolutions or scales. An ideal Multiformalism, Multiresolution, Multiscale Modeling (M4) environment would provide a singular (or small set of) modeling formalisms from which to derive representations (models) across formalism, resolution and scale. This paper describes a research activity to translate Systems Modeling Language (SysML) models to the Joint Communications Simulation System (JCSS). A deliverable from this activity will aid the Department of Defense (DoD) in the design and analysis of the Joint Information Environment (JIE).

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Fatma Dandashi

Papers

Identifying and measuring quality in a software requirements specification

A method for assessing the reusability of object-oriented code using a validated set of automated measurements

Tailoring DoDAF For Service-Oriented Architectures

UAF for system of systems modeling

Multiformalism, multiresolution, multiscale modeling