The title of "software engineer" has got to be among the most highly abused in the corporate high-tech world. It's also one of the most popular.
And why not? It sounds a lot better than "computer programmer," and it looks much better on one's business card. Unfortunately, it's often inaccurate. Engineering is, after all, the application of sound technical principles to develop systems that are robust, efficient and elegant. I've found that a great many software engineers can develop working programs, but do little or no real engineering design.
Does this sound harsh? Perhaps, but I've also found it hard to deny. I've encountered very few software engineers, for example, who have clean, crisp and readable coding styles-an essential element of elegant software design. I've also encountered a preponderance of cryptically written functions, clumsy software abstractions and bizarre spaghetti code. To my dismay, I've discovered that even among computer science graduates, many reduce object-oriented programming to the mere use of private data, public functions and object instantiations. It's enough to break a teacher's heart.
Now, I won't go so far as to say that most programmers write spaghetti code. That would not be fair. However, I do think that relatively few programmers have a deep appreciation for the artistry of software development. That's not to say that they're ignorant of such things; not at all. Rather, it's more that the engineering aspects of elegant code design are all too often neglected.
I think this happens because modern programming tools have made proper code design seem like a nuisance. In the early years of computing, people were forced to write out their software designs, pondering many fine details before they ever sat down in front of the computer. Nowadays, with our fast compilers and interactive debugging systems, programmers often find it more convenient to simply sit down and start coding, with just a modicum of software design. Mind you, I do understand that this is sometimes more efficient-when the programming task is fairly routine, for example. However, when such design-as-you-go software development becomes standard practice, then you have the makings of utter chaos.
In part, this problem is also rooted in the malleable nature of computer software. No self-respecting civil engineer would design a bridge by slapping girders together until he has something that works; after all, if the bridge collapses, it could take months to rebuild it. Similarly, no sensible architect would want to build a house without blueprints and floor plans. Yet it is commonplace for programmers to develop software using poorly chosen functions and only the sketchiest of designs. After all, if the software doesn't work, they can always find the bug and fix it-at least, in theory. In practice, these bugs are often difficult to detect, and fixing them can require extensive surgery. The consequences of an ill-designed software program can be disastrous indeed.
For this reason, I believe that high-tech companies need to give software engineering the respect that it deserves. They need to develop a true culture of systematic software design, instead of merely settling for "whatever works." A company that's looking toward the future must pay proper devotion to the principles of software maintainability, proper documentation and elegant, robust design. It must also inculcate a culture of true software engineering among its employees. The failure to do so may work in the short-term, but it is a recipe for long-term disaster.
V. Berba Velasco Jr., Ph.D. takes great pride in working at Cellular Technology Ltd (http://www.immunospot.com, http://www.immunospot.com, http://www.immunospot.com) where he serves as a senior electrical and software engineer. He is pleased to work in an environment where excellence is valued.
Culver prom limo ..Following tips help you to learn a software in lesser... Read More
The first thing that you will notice about Linux Red... Read More
When Great Plains Software was designing and developing Great Plains... Read More
Are you lost in the mess of documents that get... Read More
1. With mapping software you can create a report that... Read More
Microsoft Business Solutions Navision serves both European and American megamarkets.... Read More
If you feel intimidated when someone tries to teach you... Read More
How would you like to prevent spyware and adware from... Read More
Configuring PPP PAP AuthenticationNow we know how the ISDN link... Read More
Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains serves to the wide spectrum... Read More
I have always regretted how Microsoft price gouges and rips... Read More
Healthcare facilities such as clinics, hospitals, and biomedical laboratories can... Read More
There are plenty of articles out there about how to... Read More
This article is for advanced Microsoft CRM SDK C# developers.... Read More
Microsoft Great Plains, Navision, Solomon and Axapta are Microsoft Business... Read More
In this article you will find some background information about... Read More
Follow the steps below to quickly design, generate, and deploy... Read More
Microsoft CRM ? Client Relationship Management package from Microsoft Business... Read More
It won't matter how effective your WinRunner Team is if... Read More
When you double-click a layer in the Layer Palette, you... Read More
Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains might be considered as ERP... Read More
Running Applications in Compatibility Mode With Windows XP, you can... Read More
Microsoft Great Plains - Microsoft Business Solutions accounting and ERP... Read More
If you have Microsoft Great Plains and support it for... Read More
Most people don't use Photoshop to its fullest capabilities. Here... Read More
Wood Dale limo ..Our opinion is based on our Microsoft Business Solutions Great... Read More
TCO (Total Cost Ownership) is the buzzword in... Read More
Microsoft Office program is a programming tool called Visual Basic... Read More
What is Tripwire?Tripwire is a form intrusion detection system (IDS)... Read More
One of the main reasons business owners and entrepreneurs use... Read More
An operating system (abbreviated OS) is essentially the path through... Read More
Great Plains Integration Manager scripting and translation - overview for... Read More
We would like to give you pluses and minuses of... Read More
Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains was historically designed to serve... Read More
For a windows user like me, just can watch with... Read More
Microsoft Business Solutions CRM is now approaching the phase of... Read More
The first thing that you will notice about Linux Red... Read More
After almost two decades of existence, Quark has become the... Read More
Microsoft bought Navision, Denmark based software development company, along with... Read More
With any good luck and a good amount of hard... Read More
Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains is very popular ERP/MRP applications... Read More
There are two approaches for application integration:? Programmer's approach ?... Read More
Following tips help you to learn a software in lesser... Read More
Have you ever noticed that when you look at your... Read More
There are two major WYSIWYG(What You See Is What You... Read More
Microsoft Great Plains ? ERM from Microsoft Business Solutions and... Read More
Is your PC is slow and wimpy? Then you need... Read More
Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains is written in Great Plains... Read More
First we had the original Google search that evolved into... Read More
I provide, here clear explanations and a count of function... Read More
Software |