Chapter 1 Issues—The Software Crisis
Chapter 1 Issues—The Software Crisis 1. Introduction to Chapter This chapter describes some of the current issues and problems in system development that are caused The term "software crisis" has been used since the by software—software that is late, is over budget, late 1960s to describe those recurring system devel- and/or does not meet the customers' requirements or opment problems in which software development needs. problems cause the entire system to be late, over Software is the set of instructions that govern the budget, not responsive to the user and/or customer actions of a programmable machine. Software includes requirements, and difficult to use, maintain, and application programs, system software, utility soft- enhance. The late Dr. Winston Royce, in his paper ware, and firmware. Software does not include data, Current Problems [1], emphasized this situation when procedures, people, and documentation. In this tuto- he said in 1991: rial, "software" is synonymous with "computer pro- grams." The construction of new software that is both Because software is invisible, it is difficult to be pleasing to the user/buyer and without latent certain of development progress or of product com- errors is an unexpectedly hard problem. It is pleteness and quality. Software is not governed by the perhaps the most difficult problem in engi- physical laws of nature: there is no equivalent of neering today, and has been recognized as such Ohm's Law, which governs the flow of electricity in a for more than 15 years. It is often referred to as circuit; the laws of aerodynamics, which act to keep an the "software crisis".
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