Page 30 - DCAP405_SOFTWARE_ENGINEERING

Unit 2: A Generic View of Process

process specifies the abstract set of activities that should be performed to go from user needs to Notes
the final product. The actual act of executing the activities for some specific user needs is a
software project. And all the outputs that are produced while the activities are being executed
are the products. One can view the software process as an abstract type, and each project is done
using that process as an instance of this type. In other words, there can be many projects for a
process and there can be many products produced in a project. This relationship is shown in
Figure 2.1.
Figure 2.1: Relation between Processes, Projects and Products

Software Process

Project 1 Project n
Project i

Product 1 Product m
Product
2
The sequence of activities specified by the process is typically at an abstract level because they
have to be usable for a wide range of projects. Hence, “implementing” them in a project is not
straightforward. To clarify this, let us take the example of book writing. A process for book
writing on a subject will be something like this:
1. Set objectives of the book – audience, marketing etc.
2. Outline the contents.

3. Research the topics covered.
4. Do literature survey.
5. Write and/or compile the content.
6. Get the content evaluated by a team of experts.
7. Proof read the book.

8. Make corrections, if any.
9. Get the book typeset.
10. Print the book.

11. Bind the book.
Overall, the process specifies activities at an abstract level that are not project- specific.
It is a generic set of activities that does not provide a detailed roadmap for a particular project.
The detailed roadmap for a particular project is the project plan that specifies what specific
activities to perform for this particular project, when, and how to ensure that the project progresses
smoothly. In our book writing example, the project plan to write a book on Software Engineering
will be the detailed marked map showing the activities, with other details like plans for getting
illustrations, photographs etc.
It should be clear that it is the process that drives a project. A process limits the degrees of
freedom for a project, by specifying what types of activities must be done and in what order.

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