Module Information
Course Delivery
| Delivery Type | Delivery length / details |
|---|---|
| Practical | 18 x 2 Hour Practicals |
| Lecture | 14 x 1 Hour Lectures |
Assessment
| Assessment Type | Assessment length / details | Proportion |
|---|---|---|
| Semester Exam | 2 Hours Written exam | 25% |
| Semester Assessment | Group Programming project including group report (approximately 8,000-10,000 words. Represents 200 hours work. | 75% |
| Supplementary Exam | 2 Hours Supplementary Exam | 25% |
| Supplementary Assessment | Supplementary Assessment Resit failed examination and/or resubmission of failed/nonsubmitted coursework components or ones of equivalent value. (May involve resitting group project). | 75% |
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
Analyse a complex software engineering problem.
Within a group design and implement an original solution to the problem.
Test and critically evaluate their solution.
Critically assess the relative merits of various software development methodologies within the context of the given problem and nature of the project team.
Working in a group, apply the chosen software development methodology to solve the given problem.
Critically explain the relative merits of alternative server-side technologies.
Demonstrate a critical appreciation of design issues encountered when developing multi-tier, distributed applications.
Aims
Students will learn about enterprise design patterns, platform interoperability and the development of distributed applications. What is learned is then applied within a group project.
Brief description
This module builds on SE31520 examining further the development processes, techniques and technologies for constructing Internet-based, distributed software systems. Particular emphasis is placed on studying and applying enterprise design patterns. Students, working in small groups, will build, using a modern software engineering methodology, a distributed application that employs the technologies and concepts taught in this and previous modules.
Content
1. Introduction to module. Provides a road-map to the module, with a brief overview of main concepts and how they interrelate.
2. Construction technologies. Examination of technical solutions for building enterprise applications as provided by enterprise Java and .NET for building distributed applications. These include support for server-side MVC, e.g. JavaServer Faces and ASP.NET MVC; business objects, e.g. Enterprise JavaBeans; object to relational mapping, e.g. MS LINQ, Java Persistence API; messaging systems, e.g. Java Messaging Service; interoperability, e.g. SOAP-based web services.
3. Design issues. A number of enterprise application design patterns will be reviewed within the context of technologies discussed in 2. Building multi-tier applications requires developers to know more than just technologies, they must also know and use design techniques suited to their development. Students will learn about reusable enterprise design patterns, and in particular those used for the development of distributed, multi-tier applications.
4. Wider issues. Examination of current issues that are related to 2 and 3, e.g. scalability; approaches to testing and deployment; the use of cloud computing.
Group project
1. Group Project Tutorials. Students will be required to undertake a group project where materials taught in this and earlier modules will be applied to build a distributed application. Students will be required to choose, justify and follow an appropriate software development methodology.
Tutorials will be undertaken throughout the project to set out the content of the project, and the terms on which it will be developed and assessed. Such tutorials will be undertaken where students are able to complete their project with the help and advice of teaching staff.
2. Written Material. Various written material giving guidance on carrying out the project, assessment issues, and the project submission is provided by the Department.
Module Skills
| Skills Type | Skills details |
|---|---|
| Application of Number | Inherent in subject |
| Communication | Students will practice communication skills during the tutorials and group assignment. |
| Improving own Learning and Performance | The assessed coursework requires students to develop their understanding of issues associated with the module. |
| Information Technology | Inherent in subject. |
| Personal Development and Career planning | Gives students the flavour of life as a professional software engineer. |
| Problem solving | Deciding on an appropriate design when developing a software engineering application. |
| Research skills | Students will be required to acquire further knowledge from books and on-line sources. |
| Subject Specific Skills | Enterprise Java, .Net and SOAP-based Web Services (or equivalent). |
| Team work | This is a group project so team work is important. |
Notes
This module is at CQFW Level 7