Open Source and Software Quality, 5 ECTS – School of Information Sciences

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Curricula Guides 2011–2012

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TKOPS146 Open Source and Software Quality 5 ECTS

Course homepage

Organised by

Computer Science

Person in charge

Assistant professor Eleni Berki.

Preceding studies

The course participants should have a good knowledge on programming and knowledge on software development lifecycles and methods.

Belongs to following study modules

Teaching

General description

The software development process has recently changed its focus to favour different from the traditional methodological paradigms and ways of working. The new trends of Open and Free Source Software development and the increasing number of open and free software users and development stakeholders have given rise to new issues for attention in software technologies and software quality. Software quality management is increasingly required to examine and assure the quality (e.g. security, reliability) of open source software, which, as a new movement, is often misunderstood and its existence is skeptically viewed.

Adequate examination of these issues will bring useful and practical knowledge for a software developer, who needs to focus on those areas of design and code in use and reuse. A multi-view approach for analysis to open source development paradigm will (i) provide with new information on software quality related activities in Open Source Software Development (OSSD), and (ii) increase open source software reliability for various stakeholders and end-users.

Learning outcomes

1. To become acquainted with a variety of Open and Free Source Software and distinguish among their similarities and their differences, regarding their development nature and availability constraints.
2. To become aware of the development lifecycle, methods, process models, techniques, and software tools that are used in the software development of the various forms and types of Open and Free Source Software.
3. To compare and contrast the above with the traditional software and its development lifecycles and methods, identify strengths and weaknesses, possible limitations, similarities and differences.
4. To examine a variety of application domains of OSS and OSSD through case studies, where software quality properties and their management have been of outmost importance.

The course will refer to the following topics: (i) Open Source Software (OSS) and its Development (OSSD), examining the methods, processes, techniques and tools utilized for software production. (ii) Software Quality Assurance (SQA) basic concepts required and techniques applied in OSSD, such as software reliability, security, usability and other quality requirements.

Some of the main questions that the course will deal with throughout its delivery are the following: What are OSS and OSSD? How do they differ from similar and/or different SD paradigms? What can be certified and what not in OSSD? How SQA techniques can be used in the context of OSSD? How reliable, secure, and “guaranteed” is OSS and how could these be assured? Is it important to support and use OSSD; why yes/no? How safe is it to use OSS? Who is in need for OSS? For whom is OSS suitable? Who requires/supports OSS and who does not? Is there a future in OSSD?