How is a Program Developed (Video 1)?

  • First, an idea is formed
    • The program idea has a purpose and will be programmed for that specific purpose
    • A plan is created and specific steps are followed
    • Sometimes the development is exploratory and steps are dictated by what happens
  • Developers need to investigate the problem/purpose and reflect upon it
    • Developers must follow requirements and constraints of the program and also the users interests with the program
    • Developers can investigate through the use of surveys, user testing, interviews, and direct observations
  • Developers design the program by brainstorming, storyboarding the program, planning user experience, laying out the user interface, organizing into modules, and developing a testing strategy
  • Developers decide on program requirements that describe how the program should behave and includes a list of user interactions
  • Developers will test small parts (modules) of the program to make sure they are working before putting them together
  • Developers test the program at the micro (individual components) and macro (individual components working together as intended) levels
  • Developers refine and revise through testing, feedback, and reflection

How is a Program Developed (Video 2)?

  • Programs are usually developed by teams of people so many inputs and ideas can be provided. Also different people are good at different tasks making team development the obvious choice of development.
  • Individuals/groups work on different functional components
  • Every member of the project needs to receive credit for their contributions
    • Their names and contributions must be written in the documentation of the program
  • Many programs give credit through the use of comments because this makes it easy to find out and contact people in charge of a specific part of the code when there is a bug in that code segment
  • Many times developers use code segments, procedures, and algorithms that are written by people that are not involved in the project just so they don’t have to figure out how to do it themselves (think “there’s no point in reinventing the wheel”)
    • The program documentation should include the author’s name and the source of any code segments being used

Documentation

  • Programmers create program documentation to describe the overall program, list program specifications, describe parts of the program, and list contributors/authors of the program
  • Documentation throughout development of the program:
    • At the beginning: list specifications
    • During: keep track of process
    • After: explain the overall process
    • Documentation throughout the development can improve the efficiency of the programming process, programmers’ ability to test and refine the program, and programmers’ response to bugs

MCQ Questions

I have completed the assigned MCQ questions for this week.