How software engineering differs from other fields of engineering Essay

How software engineering differs from other fields of engineering - Essay Example The concept is applied with reference to engineering and computer science principles and practices, when exploring the development, operability and the maintenance of software systems. This paper will explore the aspects that differentiate software from other fields of engineering like mechanical and electrical engineering. The paper will also discuss the specific characteristics of the ‘software’ product, which differentiate the field from other engineering domains. The differences between software engineering and other traditional engineering disciplines The field of software engineering, unlike other traditional fields of engineering, can be traced to the growth in the field of computing and information technology. The growth in the field of computing and information technology has prompted the tremendous growth of the field of software engineering (Ghezzi, Jazayeri and Mandrioli, 2003). On the other hand, other fields of engineering can be traced to the development a nd the growth of respective fields of study and practice, and not necessarily the field of computing and information technology (Sommerville, 2008). ... erent from traditional engineering disciplines, in that many of the other fields of engineering – including civil, chemical, mechanical, and electrical engineering – can be traced to the discrete application of mathematical basements. On the other hand, software engineering can be traced to the application of technical computer and mathematical science principles, which resulted from the need of maintaining and improving software systems (Ghezzi, Jazayeri and Mandrioli, 2003). This difference shows that the field depends, mainly, on the principles of discrete mathematics, particularly that related to logic (Jones, 1995). Software engineering is different from traditional engineering fields, in that many of the engineers practicing these other fields construct real artifacts, but software engineers construct virtual/ abstract artifacts. This points out that the products developed by software engineers may not be subjected to the evaluation and the testing which is releva nt to those produced by the engineering practicing in the traditional fields. Additionally, traditional engineering fields are mature fields incorporating continuous mathematics and physical sciences, but software engineering is more immature, and reliant on discrete mathematics and computer sciences (Herbsleb and Goldenson, 1996). In traditional engineering, there are two major concerns about the products produced, including the costs of production and the reliability of the product, which is a function of time and failure (Jalote, 2005). On the other hand, in software engineering, the main concerns related to the products developed include the costs of development and the reliability of the virtual product, which is a function of the number of errors noted for every thousand lines of the source