We have considered this picture (from McConnell) as a summary of the activities that make up software construction.

The size of each cloud is supposed to suggest the relative amount of time/effort spent on that activity. Coding and debugging are suggested to be the largest single component, though still representing less than half of the total time nad effort.

Its position relative to the yellow “software construction ellipse” is supposed to suggest how central each item is to the concept of software construction. For example, “problem definition” is shown as outside the bounds of software construction. “Integration”, on the other hand, is almost but not quite entirely within the bounds of socftware construction.

Discussion

Go to the the Hallway forum in Blackboard.

If your ODU UIN ends in an even number, discuss

• How would this picture change for incremental (and/or agile) projects?

If your ODU UIN ends in an odd number, discuss

• McConnell’s book is now 10 years old. Do you think that this picture remains valid now, or have changes been made in the last decade that would influence this picture?