Software Engineering – Implementation

Vocabulary flashcards covering coding standards, implementation qualities, naming rules, debugging phases, refactoring, and UI design principles.

Coding Standards

Documented conventions that guide code formatting, naming, commenting, and banned constructs to ensure consistency across a project.

Characteristics of Good Implementation

Key qualities—readability, maintainability, performance, traceability, correctness, and completeness—that well-written code should possess.

Readability (Code)

The ease with which a human can understand the purpose, control flow, and data flow of source code.

Maintainability

How easily software can be modified to fix defects, improve performance, or adapt to a changed environment.

Performance (Software)

The efficiency with which a program uses resources such as CPU, memory, and I/O to perform its tasks.

Traceability

The ability to link code back to requirements, design documents, and test cases.

Correctness

The degree to which software adheres to specified functional requirements.

Completeness (Implementation)

Extent to which all required features are fully implemented in the software.

Naming Convention

A set of rules for choosing identifiers (classes, methods, variables, files) that promote clarity and consistency.

Global Identifier Naming Guideline

Use longer, descriptive names for globally visible identifiers; keep local names short.

Python lowerwithunder

Preferred Python style for functions, variables, modules, and packages (e.g., my_function).

CapWords (CamelCase)

Python recommendation for class and exception names (e.g., MyClass).

CAPSWITHUNDER

Python style for constants at module or class scope (e.g., MAX_SPEED).

GUI Prefix "btn"

Naming prefix indicating a button control, e.g., btnLogin.

GUI Prefix "chk"

Naming prefix indicating a checkbox control, e.g., chkStatus.

Function/Method Size Rule

Keep methods under ~50 lines to reduce error likelihood and simplify understanding.

File‐Naming Best Practice

Use short (<25 char), descriptive names without spaces or special characters; write conventions in a data-management plan.

ISO 8601 Date Format

YYYYMMDD representation recommended for embedding dates in file names (e.g., report_20241005.txt).

Avoid GOTO

Structured programming guideline that prohibits GOTO/setjmp/longjmp to preserve readable control flow.

Multiple Inheritance (Risk)

Discouraged practice because it can introduce ambiguity and complexity in object hierarchies.

Comment Smell: Code Repetition

Comment merely restates code and should be avoided.

Comment Type: Description of Intent

Most valuable comment; explains WHY the code exists, not what it literally does.

Coding Standards Repository

Central location (e.g., repo_standards/general.md) storing language-specific guidelines.

Debugging – Stabilization/Reproduction

Phase where a minimal test case that reliably triggers the defect is produced.

Debugging – Localization

Process of finding the exact code section responsible for a defect.

Debugging – Correction

Modifying code to eliminate the located defect.

Debugging – Verification

Confirming the fix and ensuring no regressions, often using tools like source comparators or interactive debuggers.

Source Code Comparator

Tool that highlights differences between code versions to aid verification (e.g., Code Compare).

Interactive Debugger

Tool that allows step-through execution, variable inspection, and breakpoint control during debugging.

Assertion

Executable statement that checks a condition assumed true; used for defensive programming.

Defensive Programming

Technique of writing code that anticipates and guards against possible errors or misuse.

Profiler

Performance tool that measures resource usage to guide optimization.

Refactoring

Improving code structure and readability without altering external behavior.

Code Smell

Surface indication that usually corresponds to a deeper problem (e.g., duplicated code, long methods).

Long Method (Smell)

Excessively lengthy routine; often refactored by extracting smaller functions.

Feature Envy (Smell)

Method that excessively uses data or methods of another class, suggesting a relocation of logic.

Three Golden Rules of UI Design

1) Place user in control, 2) Reduce user memory load, 3) Ensure consistency.

Place User in Control

UI principle where operations are reversible and users initiate actions rather than react to system behavior.

Reduce User’s Memory Load

Design guidance to minimize the amount of information users must remember by keeping cues visible.

Consistent User Interface

Maintaining uniform visual and interaction patterns across an application to enhance learnability.