IFT-540 FINAL QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
phases - Answers - related groups of development activities, such as initiation,
planning, analysis, design, implementation, deployment, and support
waterfall model - Answers - an SDLC approach that assumes the phases can be
completed sequentially with no overlap
incremental development - Answers - an SDLC approach that completes portions of
the system in small increments across iterations, with each increment being integrated
into the whole as it is completed
walking skeleton - Answers - a development approach in which the complete system
structure is built but with bare-bones functionality
tool - Answers - a software application that assists developers in creating models or
other components required for a project
integrated development environments (IDEs) - Answers - sets of tools that work
together to provide a comprehensive development and programming environment for
software developers
visual modeling tools - Answers - tools that help analysts create and verify graphical
models and may also generate program code
technique - Answers - a collection of guidelines that specify a method for how to carry
out a development activity or task
agile development - Answers - a guiding philosophy and set of guidelines for
developing information systems in an unknown, rapidly changing environment
chaordic - Answers - a term used to describe adaptive projects because they are
chaotic yet ordered
agile modeling (AM) - Answers - a guiding philosophy in which only models that are
necessary, with a valid need and at the right level of detail, are created
UP discipline - Answers - a set of functionality related activities that combine to enable
the development process in a UP project
pair programming - Answers - XP practice in which two programmers work together on
designing, coding, and testing software
refactoring - Answers - revising, reorganizing, and rebuilding part of a system so it is of
higher quality
,product backlog - Answers - a prioritized list of user requirements used to choose work
to be done in a Scrum project
product owner - Answers - the client stakeholder for whom the system is being built
Scrum master - Answers - the person in charge of a Scrum project—similar to a
project manager
sprint - Answers - a time-controlled mini-project that implements a specific portion of a
system
What is a project? - Answers - A project is a planned undertaking, with a beginning
and end that produces a well-defined result or product.
What is the range of sizes of an information system development project? - Answers -
Some system development projects are very large, requiring thousands of hours of work
by many people spanning several calendar years. Many system development projects
are smaller, lasting a few months.
What is the system development life cycle (SDLC)? - Answers - The system
development life cycle provides a way to think about the development of a new system
as a progressive process.
What characteristics of a project call for a predictive approach to the SDLC? - Answers
- Predictive SDLCs are useful for building systems that are well understood and defined.
For example, updating an older system where the staff already understands the
requirements very well and no new processes need to be added.
What characteristics of a project call for an adaptive approach to the SDLC? - Answers
- An adaptive approach is used when the system's requirements and/or the users'
needs aren't well understood. Some system requirements may need to be determined
after preliminary development work. Flexibility is needed.
What are the six phases of the traditional predictive SDLC? - Answers - project
initiation
project planning
analysis
design
implementation
deployment
Explain how the waterfall model of the SDLC controls the changes that occur during a
project. - Answers - The waterfall model assumes that phases can be carried out and
completed sequentially. This model assumes rigid planning and final decision making at
each step of the development project.
,Explain the advantages of having the phases of a predictive SDLC overlap. - Answers
- In having the SDLC phases overlap, there is recognition that each phase is influenced
by and dependent on each other. While some initial analysis must be done before
designing can start, during design it may be discovered that more detail is needed or
that a requirement cannot be met in the manner originally requested.
What organizing concept is included in all adaptive SDLCs? - Answers - All adaptive
SDLCs include iterations, where, rather than having the phases proceed sequentially,
the iterations can be used to create a series of mini-projects that address smaller parts
of the application.
For an adaptive SDLC, explain what goes on during each iteration. - Answers - An
iterative approach is adaptive because with each iteration's analysis, design, and
implementation, modifications can be made to adapt to the changing requirements of
the project.
The SDLC used in this text is based on what adaptive SDLC? - Answers - The
adaptive approach presented in this textbook is a simplification of and variation on a
more formal iterative approach called the Unified Process (UP).
What are the core processes in the SDLC used in this book, and what traditional
predictive SDLC phase corresponds to each process? - Answers - -Identify the
problem and obtain approval (project initiation)
-Plan and monitor project (project planning)
-Discover and understand details (analysis)
-Design system components (design)
-Build, text, and integrate system components (implementation)
-Complete system tests and deploy the solution (deployment)
What is the iterative approach that involves completing and deploying part of an
application over a few iterations and then completing and deploying another part of that
application after a few more iterations? - Answers - incremental development
Why do adaptive SDLCs not explicitly include the support phase? - Answers -
Because, through an adaptive SDLC process, parts of the system are available early on
for user evaluation and feedback, which helps ensure that the application will meet the
needs of the users.
What is a system development methodology? - Answers - A system development
methodology provides guidelines for every facet of the system development life cycle.
Within a certain methodology, certain models, such as diagrams, are used to describe
and specify the requirements.
What are some examples of models included in a methodology? - Answers - Some
examples of models for system components: use case diagrams, domain model class
, diagram, design class diagram, sequence diagram, package diagram, screen design
template, etc. Some models used to manage the development process: Gantt chart,
organizational hierarchy chart, financial analysis models, system development life-cycle
model, stakeholders list, and iteration plan.
What are some examples of techniques included in a methodology? - Answers -
Examples of techniques in a methodology are: strategic planning techniques, project
management techniques, user-interviewing techniques, data-modeling techniques,
relational database design techniques, structured programming techniques, software-
testing techniques, process modeling techniques, domain modeling techniques, use
case modeling techniques, object-oriented programming techniques, architectural
design techniques, user-interface design techniques.
What are some examples of tools included in a methodology? - Answers - Some
examples of tools in a methodology are: project management application,
drawing/graphics application, word processor/text editor, visual modeling tool,
integrated development environment (IDE), database management application, reverse-
engineering tool, code generator tool.
What is Agile development? - Answers - Agile development is a philosophy and set of
guidelines for developing information systems in an unknown, rapidly changing
environment, and it can be used with any system development
What are the four "values" reflected in Agile development? - Answers - The four basic
values identified in Agile development:
-Value responding to change over following a plan
-Value individuals and interactions over processes and tools
-Value working software over comprehensive documentation
-Value customer collaboration over contract negotiation
What is Agile modeling (AM)? - Answers - Agile modeling is a guiding philosophy that
isn't about doing less modeling, but about doing the right kind of modeling at the right
level of detail for the right purposes. AM doesn't dictate which models to build or how
formal to make those models.
What are the 12 Agile modeling principles? - Answers - -software is your primary goal
-next effort is your secondary goal
-minimize modeling
-embrace change, change incrementally
-model with a purpose
-build multiple models
-high-quality models, get feedback
-focus on content, not representation
-communicate and learn from each other
-know your models and host to use them
phases - Answers - related groups of development activities, such as initiation,
planning, analysis, design, implementation, deployment, and support
waterfall model - Answers - an SDLC approach that assumes the phases can be
completed sequentially with no overlap
incremental development - Answers - an SDLC approach that completes portions of
the system in small increments across iterations, with each increment being integrated
into the whole as it is completed
walking skeleton - Answers - a development approach in which the complete system
structure is built but with bare-bones functionality
tool - Answers - a software application that assists developers in creating models or
other components required for a project
integrated development environments (IDEs) - Answers - sets of tools that work
together to provide a comprehensive development and programming environment for
software developers
visual modeling tools - Answers - tools that help analysts create and verify graphical
models and may also generate program code
technique - Answers - a collection of guidelines that specify a method for how to carry
out a development activity or task
agile development - Answers - a guiding philosophy and set of guidelines for
developing information systems in an unknown, rapidly changing environment
chaordic - Answers - a term used to describe adaptive projects because they are
chaotic yet ordered
agile modeling (AM) - Answers - a guiding philosophy in which only models that are
necessary, with a valid need and at the right level of detail, are created
UP discipline - Answers - a set of functionality related activities that combine to enable
the development process in a UP project
pair programming - Answers - XP practice in which two programmers work together on
designing, coding, and testing software
refactoring - Answers - revising, reorganizing, and rebuilding part of a system so it is of
higher quality
,product backlog - Answers - a prioritized list of user requirements used to choose work
to be done in a Scrum project
product owner - Answers - the client stakeholder for whom the system is being built
Scrum master - Answers - the person in charge of a Scrum project—similar to a
project manager
sprint - Answers - a time-controlled mini-project that implements a specific portion of a
system
What is a project? - Answers - A project is a planned undertaking, with a beginning
and end that produces a well-defined result or product.
What is the range of sizes of an information system development project? - Answers -
Some system development projects are very large, requiring thousands of hours of work
by many people spanning several calendar years. Many system development projects
are smaller, lasting a few months.
What is the system development life cycle (SDLC)? - Answers - The system
development life cycle provides a way to think about the development of a new system
as a progressive process.
What characteristics of a project call for a predictive approach to the SDLC? - Answers
- Predictive SDLCs are useful for building systems that are well understood and defined.
For example, updating an older system where the staff already understands the
requirements very well and no new processes need to be added.
What characteristics of a project call for an adaptive approach to the SDLC? - Answers
- An adaptive approach is used when the system's requirements and/or the users'
needs aren't well understood. Some system requirements may need to be determined
after preliminary development work. Flexibility is needed.
What are the six phases of the traditional predictive SDLC? - Answers - project
initiation
project planning
analysis
design
implementation
deployment
Explain how the waterfall model of the SDLC controls the changes that occur during a
project. - Answers - The waterfall model assumes that phases can be carried out and
completed sequentially. This model assumes rigid planning and final decision making at
each step of the development project.
,Explain the advantages of having the phases of a predictive SDLC overlap. - Answers
- In having the SDLC phases overlap, there is recognition that each phase is influenced
by and dependent on each other. While some initial analysis must be done before
designing can start, during design it may be discovered that more detail is needed or
that a requirement cannot be met in the manner originally requested.
What organizing concept is included in all adaptive SDLCs? - Answers - All adaptive
SDLCs include iterations, where, rather than having the phases proceed sequentially,
the iterations can be used to create a series of mini-projects that address smaller parts
of the application.
For an adaptive SDLC, explain what goes on during each iteration. - Answers - An
iterative approach is adaptive because with each iteration's analysis, design, and
implementation, modifications can be made to adapt to the changing requirements of
the project.
The SDLC used in this text is based on what adaptive SDLC? - Answers - The
adaptive approach presented in this textbook is a simplification of and variation on a
more formal iterative approach called the Unified Process (UP).
What are the core processes in the SDLC used in this book, and what traditional
predictive SDLC phase corresponds to each process? - Answers - -Identify the
problem and obtain approval (project initiation)
-Plan and monitor project (project planning)
-Discover and understand details (analysis)
-Design system components (design)
-Build, text, and integrate system components (implementation)
-Complete system tests and deploy the solution (deployment)
What is the iterative approach that involves completing and deploying part of an
application over a few iterations and then completing and deploying another part of that
application after a few more iterations? - Answers - incremental development
Why do adaptive SDLCs not explicitly include the support phase? - Answers -
Because, through an adaptive SDLC process, parts of the system are available early on
for user evaluation and feedback, which helps ensure that the application will meet the
needs of the users.
What is a system development methodology? - Answers - A system development
methodology provides guidelines for every facet of the system development life cycle.
Within a certain methodology, certain models, such as diagrams, are used to describe
and specify the requirements.
What are some examples of models included in a methodology? - Answers - Some
examples of models for system components: use case diagrams, domain model class
, diagram, design class diagram, sequence diagram, package diagram, screen design
template, etc. Some models used to manage the development process: Gantt chart,
organizational hierarchy chart, financial analysis models, system development life-cycle
model, stakeholders list, and iteration plan.
What are some examples of techniques included in a methodology? - Answers -
Examples of techniques in a methodology are: strategic planning techniques, project
management techniques, user-interviewing techniques, data-modeling techniques,
relational database design techniques, structured programming techniques, software-
testing techniques, process modeling techniques, domain modeling techniques, use
case modeling techniques, object-oriented programming techniques, architectural
design techniques, user-interface design techniques.
What are some examples of tools included in a methodology? - Answers - Some
examples of tools in a methodology are: project management application,
drawing/graphics application, word processor/text editor, visual modeling tool,
integrated development environment (IDE), database management application, reverse-
engineering tool, code generator tool.
What is Agile development? - Answers - Agile development is a philosophy and set of
guidelines for developing information systems in an unknown, rapidly changing
environment, and it can be used with any system development
What are the four "values" reflected in Agile development? - Answers - The four basic
values identified in Agile development:
-Value responding to change over following a plan
-Value individuals and interactions over processes and tools
-Value working software over comprehensive documentation
-Value customer collaboration over contract negotiation
What is Agile modeling (AM)? - Answers - Agile modeling is a guiding philosophy that
isn't about doing less modeling, but about doing the right kind of modeling at the right
level of detail for the right purposes. AM doesn't dictate which models to build or how
formal to make those models.
What are the 12 Agile modeling principles? - Answers - -software is your primary goal
-next effort is your secondary goal
-minimize modeling
-embrace change, change incrementally
-model with a purpose
-build multiple models
-high-quality models, get feedback
-focus on content, not representation
-communicate and learn from each other
-know your models and host to use them
