Software development

Chapter 1 – What is software development?

Contents ❶ ❷• What is software?• What is software development?• How is software developed?• Software development as an industry.• Assignments• Questions and answers

What is software?• Digital entities consisting of small simple

commands that can be run on a computer (or similar device)

• Software applications process the user's input and produce and display output

• Typically only available in digital (electronic) formats

Examples of software applications• On computer– Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Photoshop– Web browser

• On phone– Apps, such as:

• Map applications, timetables, messaging, games, etc.

• Online– Google, Facebook, Twitter

What is software development?• Work done to produce software and

applications• Projects need at least developes, designers, and

testers• Software development happens on computers

using specialized programs and applications• This results in programming code (code for

short)

Software development as an industry

• Software development is a part of the IT industry, its worth is significant

• Typically even a small software project is worth 50,000-100,000€

• Experts from many different fields are needed– Developers and testers– Graphic designers, interface designers– Salesmen, marketers, support stadd, trainers…

Assingments• Reflect on whether software can have a physical state.• Come up with at least three examples of devices that

run software. Computers and phones do not count.• Find out what tools are needed for software

development. Are pen and paper needed at all?• What different job descriptions can software

development include?

Questions and answers 1Why is software needed?• Software has a significant role in the modern world, as nearly all

electronic devices contain software

• Similarly many things are controlled through software: cash flows, public transportation timetables, satellites, television programming, etc.

• The list is is long. The existence of software has a notable effect on how we live and experience life. In the future, the role of software will become even more pronounced.

Questions and answers 2How much software development is done in Finland?• In Finland, as in many other western countries, software

development and related fields are significant employers.

• Actual software development employs approximately 20,000 people in Finland. Related field employ directly or indirectly hundreds of thousands of people.

• Originally software development was born in England and the USA.

Questions and answers 3How can I start developing software?• Software can be developed on many tools and

platforms. Typically starting it doesn't cost a cent. Needed tools can be downloaded for free from software development communities' websites.

• Professional development tools are usually commercial, but even they usually have free licenses for short-term testing.