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Week 1 – CST438 Software Engineering

What did you expect a course in Software Engineering would cover?  

Before week one of Software Engineering, I thought the material we would cover would consist mostly of programming larger more complex assignments. I also thought we would learn how to be more efficient when programming, for example, writing cleaner, more concise, and purposeful code. Essentially, I thought the main focus of this course would be on the technical aspects of programming, like mastering algorithms, data structures, and working on coding projects.

After completing week 1, how has your opinion changed? 

After completing week one of the course, my opinion has changed. I realized that we will be focusing on the engineering aspect of software which is different from programming. We will be learning how to plan, manage, and execute software projects efficiently.

Lab1, for example, taught us how to build a REST API that we will be using for our web base application which requires an understanding of system architecture and design principles. Lab2 walked us through JUnit testing which helps ensure our code is reliable and functions properly before we integrate it into the main project.

The first chapter of Software Engineering At Google also elaborates on the difference between programming and software engineering. It explains that programming is about producing code and software engineering extends that to include the maintenance of that code for its useful life span. Software engineering addresses the long-term maintenance, scalability, and adaptability of software.

I am looking forward to learning more about the tools and methods that make up software engineering.

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