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Reviewer: Allan James Payne

In this excellent text, the software engineer is seen as part of a larger system that uses basic models and standards for methods and planning. The material is well presented in five units, further divided into 20 chapters, along with four appendices. The first unit, containing three chapters, introduces the subject. Chapter 1 presents the engineer's role in the processes of the system and software life cycles. The concepts are reinforced in chapter 2 by means of two example projects. Chapter 3 describes technical planning based on American standard models and describes the team process involved in design, scheduling, and commitment. In unit 2, five chapters describe analysis and design. Chapter 4 discusses requirements specification, with two examples, while chapter 5 lists tools for analysis and design. In chapter 6, environments, platforms, and CASE tools are described in the context of support for the construction and validation of software specifications. Chapter 7 is devoted to an example design process, given in detail and with emphasis on key parts. Chapter 8 details the recent emphasis on object-oriented analysis and design. Unit 3 contains five chapters on the implementation and maintenance process. Chapter 9 examines the contribution of programming languages to the activity and summarizes rules that contribute to good practice. Chapter 10 discusses testing in terms of resources and planning. Chapter 11 describes module testing concepts and methods. Chapter 12 systematizes test procedures for the full life cycle, and chapter 13 discusses maintenance and maintainability. Unit 4 addresses software metrics and attributes in five chapters. Chapter 14 lists a set of attributes, along with metrics for the attributes. Chapter 15 gives reasons for project and product failures before suggesting a procedure to estimate resources and time for product development. In chapter 16, a methodology is given for assessing development risk and risk containment, based on performance indicator measurement and regular reviews. Chapter 17 addresses software reliability and availability based on a model used to define design rules for the improvement of software products. Chapter 18 describes software quality in terms of metrics. In unit 5, chapter 19 deals with the key requirements of real-time software, discussing scheduled processes, interval time slots, and the estimation/sizing process. Chapter 20 emphasizes human factors and the total effort required for operator communication. Appendix A reviews the communications processes and techniques used in software engineering, while Appendix B treats cost-benefit analysis. In Appendix C, objective decision-making procedures are described, with stress on the importance of documentation. Appendix D covers the review processes involved in software development.