Software Engineering

An iterative and incremental approach to software development emphasizing flexible responses to change, continuous delivery, and collaboration among self-organizing teams. It prioritizes individuals and interactions over processes and tools.

A set of well-defined, step-by-step instructions or rules designed to solve a specific problem or perform a task efficiently. In AI, algorithms are the fundamental foundation for learning, reasoning, and decision-making processes.

A set of defined rules and protocols that allows different software components to communicate with each other. It specifies how software components should interact, enabling integration without needing to understand internal workings.

The on-demand delivery of computing services—including servers, storage, databases, networking, software, analytics, and intelligence—over the Internet ("the cloud") to offer faster innovation, flexible resources, and economies of scale.

A systematic examination of computer source code. It is intended to find and fix mistakes overlooked in the initial development phase, improving the overall quality of software and allowing knowledge sharing among developers.

An extension of CI where code changes are automatically built, tested, and prepared for release to production. It ensures that software can be reliably released at any time, though manual approval for deployment might be required.

A development practice where developers frequently merge their code changes into a central repository, after which automated builds and tests are run. The primary goal is to detect integration errors early and rapidly.

A particular way of organizing and storing data in a computer so that it can be accessed and modified efficiently. Common examples include arrays, linked lists, trees, graphs, and hash tables, each suited for different tasks.

Software that interacts with end-users, applications, and the database itself to capture and analyze data, providing an interface for managing and accessing the data efficiently. It handles data storage, retrieval, and security.

The process of identifying, analyzing, and removing errors or 'bugs' from computer hardware or software. It involves systematically locating the root cause of a defect and implementing a fix to restore correct functionality.

The process of making software available for use, involving all activities that make a software system operational. This typically includes installation, configuration, testing, and release to the target environment.

Reusable solutions to common problems in software design. They are not direct code but rather templates for how to solve problems that can be adapted to various situations, promoting best practices and maintainability.

A set of practices that combines software development (Dev) and IT operations (Ops) to shorten the systems development life cycle and provide continuous delivery with high software quality. It emphasizes automation and collaboration.

An architectural style where an application is structured as a collection of loosely coupled, independently deployable services. Each service typically focuses on a single business capability and communicates via lightweight mechanisms.

A traditional software architecture where all components of an application are tightly coupled and run as a single, indivisible unit. It often leads to challenges in scaling individual parts and slower development cycles for large systems.

A programming paradigm based on the concept of "objects," which can contain data (attributes) and code (methods). Key principles include encapsulation, inheritance, polymorphism, and abstraction, promoting modularity and reusability.

The process of restructuring existing computer code without changing its external behavior. Its goal is to improve the code's non-functional attributes, such as readability, maintainability, and complexity, making it easier to understand and modify.

The ability of a system or component to perform its required functions under stated conditions for a specified period of time. It measures the probability that the software will operate without failure for a given duration.

The process of defining, documenting, and maintaining software requirements. It involves eliciting, analyzing, specifying, validating, and managing needs from stakeholders to ensure the final product meets user expectations.

The process of collecting and understanding the needs and constraints of stakeholders for a new software system. It involves techniques like interviews, surveys, and prototyping to define what the system should do.

The process of identifying, assessing, and controlling threats to an organization's capital and earnings. In software engineering, it involves proactively identifying potential project risks, analyzing their impact, and planning mitigation strategies.

The capability of a system, network, or process to handle a growing amount of work, or its potential to be enlarged to accommodate that growth. In software, it means gracefully handling increased user load or data volume.

A lightweight, iterative, and incremental agile framework for managing complex product development, characterized by short cycles called sprints, daily stand-ups, and defined roles like Product Owner and Scrum Master.

The protection of software systems and data from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification, or destruction. It involves implementing measures to ensure confidentiality, integrity, and availability (CIA triad).

The fundamental structures of a software system, encompassing its components, their external properties, and the relationships among them. It defines the high-level organization, chosen design patterns, and system properties.

The process of defining the architecture, components, interfaces, and other characteristics of a system or component. It translates requirements into a detailed plan for implementation, focusing on structure and behavior.

A structured process that outlines the stages involved in developing, deploying, and maintaining software, from initial idea to retirement. It provides a framework for managing software projects effectively.

The modification of a software product after delivery to correct faults, improve performance or other attributes, or adapt the product to a modified environment. It includes corrective, adaptive, perfective, and preventive actions.

A process that ensures software products and services meet specified requirements and stakeholder expectations by monitoring and improving every stage of the development process. It's a proactive approach to prevent defects.

The process of evaluating a software system or component with the intent to discover whether it satisfies specified requirements or to identify defects. It includes various types like unit, integration, system, and acceptance testing.

A standard language for managing and manipulating relational databases, used for querying data, defining schemas, and controlling access. It is the primary interface for interacting with most relational DBMS.

The implied cost of additional rework caused by choosing an easy solution now instead of using a better approach that would take longer. It acts like financial debt, accruing interest (increased complexity, slower development).

A software development process where tests are written before the code they are meant to test. This cycle involves writing a failing test, writing just enough code to pass the test, and then refactoring the code.

Usability is the ease of use and learnability of a human-made object like a software application. User Experience (UX) encompasses all aspects of an end-user's interaction with the company, its services, and its products, aiming for positive emotional responses.

A system that records changes to files over time, allowing users to recall specific versions later. Git is a widely used distributed VCS that tracks modifications to source code during software development.

A sequential, linear software development process where each phase must be completed and signed off before the next phase can begin, typically including requirements, design, implementation, testing, and maintenance.