FAQ on Software Engineering (Unit 3)
Question 1:
Justify the statement: "Designing is not Coding and Coding is not Designing"
- The statement "Designing is not Coding and Coding is not Designing" is a fundamental principle in software engineering that highlights the distinct and sequential nature of these two activities.
- They are separate phases in the software development lifecycle, each requiring a different skill set and mindset.
Designing: The Blueprint Phase 🗺️
- Designing is a high-level, abstract process. It involves the intellectual work of creating a plan or blueprint for the software.
- This phase happens before any code is written and it focuses on the overall structure and architecture of the system.
- Designers analyze the requirements, user needs, and business goals to determine the best way to solve a problem. They decide on the system's architecture, its major components, and how they will interact.
- Design involves making high-level decisions without getting bogged down in the implementation details. It's about thinking in terms of modules, interfaces, and data flow, not specific lines of code.
Coding: The Construction Phase 🔨
- Coding, also known as implementation, is the low-level, concrete process of translating the design specifications into executable source code.
- Coding follows designing and it focuses on the detailed mechanics of building the software.
- Coders take the design documents and write the actual code in a specific programming language. They focus on the syntax, algorithms, data structures, and the logic required to make the system function as designed.