Software Development

Flash cards for software development module

Q: What are the key stages of software development?

1. Define goal (aim of the product).

2. Design and implement.

3. Test (check desired functionality).

4. Deploy and maintain.

Q: How does software engineering differ from traditional engineering?

• Software is intangible, easier to modify, and changes frequently.

• Traditional engineering deals with physical constraints.

Q: What is the difference between plan-driven and agile processes?

• Plan-driven: Planned in advance, progress measured against the plan.

• Agile: Incremental planning, adaptable to changing requirements.

Q: Why use agile methods?

• Rapid delivery.

• Handles changing business requirements.

• Reduces overhead (e.g., excessive documentation).

Q: How are requirements collected in agile?

• Expressed as user stories (written on story cards).

• Prioritized, broken into tasks, and may change/discard.

Q: What are key practices of Extreme Programming (XP)?

• Frequent builds (several times/day).

• Incremental delivery every 2 weeks.

• All tests must pass for acceptance.

Q: What is pair programming?

• Two programmers work together on the same code.

• Benefits: Knowledge sharing, collective ownership, informal code reviews.

Q: Why is testing critical in software development?

• Prevents failures (e.g., CrowdStrike outage affected 8.5M devices).

• Ensures system reliability.

Q: What is Agile?

A flexible, iterative approach to software development that values collaboration, working software, and responsiveness to change over rigid planning.

Q: What are the four values of the Agile Manifesto?

1. Individuals and interactions over processes and tools.

2. Working software over comprehensive documentation.

3. Customer collaboration over contract negotiation.

4. Responding to change over following a plan.

Q: What is the Waterfall methodology?

A linear, stage-by-stage process (requirements → design → coding → testing → deployment) with little flexibility for changes.

Q: What is Cleanroom methodology?

Focuses on formal specifications and verification to produce highly reliable software (like semiconductor cleanrooms).

Q: What was the C3 project?

Chrysler’s payroll system (1997–1999), the first project using Extreme Programming (XP). It later reverted to COBOL.

Q: Name 3 key practices of Extreme Programming (XP).

• Pair programming.

• Test-Driven Development (TDD).

• Frequent releases and continuous integration.

Q: What are the three core roles in Scrum?

1. Product Owner: Prioritizes tasks and represents customer needs.

2. Scrum Master: Facilitates the process and removes obstacles.

3. Development Team: Cross-functional members who build the product.

Q: What is the role of executives in Scrum?

They provide funding but can interfere with the process.

Q: What is a Sprint?

A time-boxed iteration (2–4 weeks) where a usable product increment is delivered.

Q: What is the Product Backlog?

An ordered list of tasks/stories to complete the project, refined into smaller pieces over time.

Q: What is the Product Goal?

The future state of the product the team aims to achieve by completing the backlog.

Q: What happens in a Daily Scrum?

A 15-minute meeting where team members:

1. Share what they did yesterday.

2. Plan tasks for today.

3. Identify blockers.

Q: What are the three key Sprint-related meetings?

1. Sprint Planning: Decides what to work on.

2. Sprint Review: Demonstrates work to stakeholders.

3. Retrospective: Reflects on process improvements.

Q: What is a Burndown Chart?

A graph showing remaining work (y-axis) vs. time (x-axis) to track sprint progress.

Q: What is a Kanban Board?

A: A visual workflow tool (columns like "To Do," "In Progress," "Done") inspired by Toyota.

Q: What are Scrum’s three pillars?

Transparency, Inspection, Adaptation.

Q: Why is code readability important?

Code is read more often than written. Readable code simplifies maintenance, debugging, and collaboration.

Q: What are the three basic control structures in structured programming?

1. Sequence: Ordered statements.

2. Selection: Conditional execution (e.g., if, switch).

3. Iteration: Loops (e.g., for, while).

Q: What is the Single Exit Point rule?

A: A function/method should return from only one location (exceptions: guards, early error checks).

Q: How should you name classes, methods, and constants in Java?

• Classes: UpperCamelCase

• Methods: lowerCamelCase

• Constants: UPPER_SNAKE_CASE

Q: What is K&R style for curly braces?

• Opening brace on the same line (if (condition) {).

• Closing brace on a new line, unless followed by else or a comma.

Q: How should indentation be handled?

A: Increase indent by 1 unit per block (e.g., 4 spaces). Wrap lines with +4 spaces for alignment.

Q: Why is duplicate code bad?

• Harder to maintain (changes needed in multiple places).

• Increases bug risk.

• Fix: Extract into methods/classes.

Q: What is code refactoring?

A: Improving code structure/design without changing functionality (reduces technical debt).

Q: What’s the difference between Javadoc and inline comments?

• Javadoc: Documents public classes/methods (e.g., /** Returns the item. */).

• Inline: Explains complex logic (use // or /* ... */).

Q: When should you use @Override?

A: Always when overriding a method—enables compiler checks.

Q: What should you do with caught exceptions?

1. Handle/log the error.

2. If "impossible," rethrow as AssertionError.

3. Never leave empty (catch blocks).

Q: How should static members be referenced?

A: Use the class name (e.g., ClassName.staticMethod()).

Q: What are benefits of code reviews?

• Knowledge sharing.

• Catch bugs early.

• Enforce standards (e.g., via pull requests).