CPSC 410 Advanced Software Engineering (2012 Winter Term 2)

Disclaimer: this syllabus is subject to change between now and start of class. I wanted to get something up for you to prepare.

Quick Links

• Project page
• Lecture notes and readings
• Marks (Connect)
• News and Forum (Piazza)

Course Description & Prerequisites

Specification, design, construction and validation of multi-version software systems.

When you complete this course, you should be able to:

• Understand the benefits and disadvantages of various architectures for constructing large, multi-version, multi-component software systems.
• Apply software verification and validation techniques to the analysis of such projects.
• Demonstrate ability in building a large, complex software project using modern software engineering technologies.

Prerequisite: Either

1. CSC 310 or
2. both EECE 310 and EECE 315.

People

Neil Ernst (Instructor)

• Office: ICICS 339
• Email: cs410@ugrad.cs.ubc.ca
• Office Hours: Mondays 3–4pm.

I will also see students outside of these times – email me if you would like to schedule an appointment to speak to me. Note that I will not normally respond to email questions other than appointment requests, unless it is an emergency. If you send me questions by email between lectures, I will provide answers or clarifications in the lectures (rather than by responding by email). I reserve the right to post your course-related questions on the discussion forum so that other students can see it.

TAs

• Reza Babanezhad rezababa AT cs.ubc.ca
• Rahul Jiresal jiresal AT cs.ubc.ca
• Deepak Azad dazad AT cs.ubc.ca

Lectures & TA Office Hours

Course Resources

Textbook

• We will use some chapters of “Software Architecture: Foundations, Theory, and Practice”, ISBN: 0470167742. You should not need to purchase it: I will place three copies on reserve in the CS Reading Room, and your friends may have copies from previous semesters.
• Each project team will be responsible for a presentation covering a project written up in either volume of The Architecture of Open Source Applications. This material is freely available, or for a small fee you can purchase an e-book, with proceeds to Amnesty International.
• Some weeks you will be given an assigned reading from an available online resource.

Lecture material

Lecture slides and other material will be posted immediately before lecture on the lectures page.

Piazza forum

The discussion forum is hosted at Piazza.com. The forum is required reading as the instructor and TAs will post important information and updates there. Please check it, as this is the official communication channel in the event of cancelled classes or labs, rescheduled deadlines, and so on. In addition, you are encouraged to post your questions about the course material on the course bulletin board. You are also encouraged to respond to questions for which you know the answer. In case you need a face-to-face discussion, you can bring you questions regarding the course material, assignments, project and labs to:

• the lab sessions,
• the instructor’s office hours listed above,
• appointments made with the instructor or your TA.

Please join the CS410 group by logging into Piazza with a cs.ubc.ca or ubc.ca email address. Watch the 2 minute introduction video.

Project Resources

See the project page.

Evaluation

Your grade in this course will be based on exams and a project, as shown in the table below.

To pass this course, you must obtain a 50% overall mark and, in addition, you must:

• pass the project overall, AND
• pass the final examination.

Students who fail the project or the final exam will be assigned as the final grade in the course the minimum of 45% (an F) and the grade computed using the above formula. (This distribution may change prior to start of term).

Part of the project mark will be an in-class presentation of approximately 5 minutes, with your group.

Grade disputes

• Grading disputes must be brought to the instructor, but see below. Remarked assignments and exams may also go down in grade.
• For project or assignment grades, first contact your TA and try to resolve the issue with them.

Posting grades

Grades will be posted regularly via Connect. Note, this is a new system for this semester and is not the same as WebCT or Vista.

Late policy

Assignments will be due at a specific time. Failing to hand anything in will result in a mark of 0.

Examinations

There will be a midterm and a final examination.

Note that the final is scheduled by the University. Do not make travel plans until the final exam schedule is released.

Project

There will be a large, semester-long group project.

At a minimum you need a good facility with Java as well as Eclipse. If you have the time, you might be well-served to read up on Javascript. You can take introductory courses in a number of places online, e.g., CodeAcademy. I also recommend the book Javascript: The Good Parts.

We will use Git and Github for our project management infrastructure. You will need a Github user account (if you have an objection to using Github please let me know). Good help is available here.

Your projects are group work, but no inter-group communication about projects is permitted unless explicitly noted in the assignment description.

Note that the project is a mandatory component of this course. You must obtain a passing grade in the project in order to pass the course.

Course Objectives

When you complete this course, you should be able to:

1. Software Architecture
   • Design for large, multi-component, distributed systems
2. Software Verification
   • Bug finding and code quality

General Advice

• Start the project early.
• Attend lectures. If you miss a lecture, find out what you missed from a fellow student.
• Takes notes during lecture. Takes notes when you are reading. Re-read the material after lecture or lab to make sure you understand the main points.
• Do the assigned reading (if there is one). Some reading will be assigned before lecture or lab. Reading this material prior to lecture or lab will ensure you get the most out of attending and will ensure we can cover more interesting material.
• Be a good group member. Part of your mark will be based on peer-evaluation.
• Do your share of the work.

Accommodation

• Students who miss the midterm will receive their final exam grade for the midterm.
• Students who miss the final exam due to illness should consult the Faculty of Science Policy on missed exams immediately after (or preferably even before) the exam. Note that a student who does not complete sufficient labs and midterms during the term may not qualify for academic concession if they miss the final.
• Students who require dispensation based on their unique circumstances should refer to the UBC policy on Academic Concessions.
• Cell phones, calculators, translators, and all other electronic devices are prohibited on desks during exams. They must be turned off and placed in your bag or on the ground.
• Students who need exam accommodation must make an official request to the Access and Diversity Office.

Academic Conduct

Each student is responsible for understanding and abiding by the University and Departmental policies on academic conduct. Specifically:

• UBC policy on Academic Misconduct
• Computer Science Department Lab policies and responsibilities.