文档介绍：“Software Engineering” programs have e a source of
contention in many universities. Computer Science departments,
many of which have used that phrase to describe individual courses
for decades, claim SE as part of their discipline. Yet some
engineering faculties claim it as a new specialty among the
engineering disciplines. This article discusses the differences
between traditional CS programs and most engineering programs,
and argues that we need SE programs that follow the traditional
engineering approach to professional education.
Software Engineering
Programs Are Not
Computer Science
Programs
David Lorge Parnas, MCMASTER UNIVERSITY
ince 1967, when a group of people from a variety of disciplines (most
of whom would now be identified puter scientists) met to dis-
S cuss “Software Engineering”in southern Germany, computer scientists
have discussed SE as if it were a subfield puter science. Within
CS departments we find people who specialize in automata theory, lan-
guage design, operating systems, theorem proving, software engineering, and many
other areas. Students take courses in a variety of subjects such pilers, data-
base systems, and, also, software engineering. Usually there is just one course enti-
tled “Software Engineering,” although sometimes we find faddish extras such as
“Object-Oriented Software Engineering”or “Component-Based Software Engineering.”
0740-7459/99/$ © 1999 IEEE November/December 1999 IEEE Software 19
In this article, I take a different view. Rather than Electrical engineers specialize in power delivery sys-
treat software engineering as a subfield puter tems, electronics, communications devices, and so
science, I treat it as an element of the set {Civil forth. Over the past three decades, it has e in-
Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical mon to find that software is a major
Engineering, Electrical Engineering, …}. This is ponent of a wide variety of productsinclud-
simpl