Using Software Engineering Approaches to Model Dynamics in Interactive Software Systems

Abstract

Software engineering comprises all aspects of designing and implementing computer-based systems. Pressman (1992) defines software engineering as “the establishment and use of sound engineering principles in order to obtain economically software that is reliable and works efficiently on real machines”. Tradition has formed a classical life cycle for software engineering to consist of systems engineering, analysis, design, code, testing and maintenance, (cf. Pressman, 1992; Sommerville 1992). Modelling and constructing future computer-based systems primarily take place in the analysis, design and coding phases where the objective is to describe the systems in terms of software components. Various methodologies have proposed specific solutions to these three phases, such as the recent objectoriented methodologies (cf. Booch 1994; Coad and Yourdon 1991a,b; Jacobson et al . 1992; Martin and Odell 1993; Rumbaugh et al . 1991; Shlaer and Mellor 1988, 1992; Wirfs-Brock et al . 1990). These methodologies have primarily been designed and created based on experience from the development of traditional computerbased systems, e.g. administrative systems such as a bank account system.