Using high-level tools to implement software engineering projects

Describes a one-semester software engineering course that takes advantage of the high-level programming tools that are becoming increasingly available. It has always been difficult to include necessary theoretical material as well as a complete software project in a one-semester course. In most traditional computer science degree programs, many students do not have room to take more than one semester of software engineering. A solution to this problem is to concentrate on the analysis and design phases of a project and to use high-level programming tools to develop a rapid prototype or to implement only part of the design. This paper describes student projects that used tools such as Visual Basic and ColdFusion in developing their projects. Projects involving Internet applications were particularly adaptable to this approach. Students were also encouraged to interface high-level languages such as Java and C++ with application software such as Microsoft Access and Excel, supporting the concepts of reuse and object-oriented design while providing a valuable experience in integration. This approach further introduces students to important software development planning and management issues, such as the proper choice of platform for the project, risk assessment, and assessment and utilization of team members' expertise and talents.