SET212: Software Engineering (2)
Software Prototyping
Approaches to prototyping
Evolutionary Delivered
prototyping system
Outline
Requirements
Throw-away Executable Prototype +
Prototyping System Specification
Types of Prototyping
Evolutionary prototyping
• An approach to system development where an initial prototype
is produced and refined through a number of stages to the final
system
Throw-away prototyping
• A prototype which is usually a practical implementation of the
system is produced to help discover requirements problems and
then discarded. The system is then developed using some other
development process
Operational prototyping
• A throw-away prototype built over an evolutionary prototype
Evolutionary prototyping
Develop abstract Build prototype Use prototype
specification system system
Deliver YES System
system adequate?
Evolutionary prototyping advantages
Accelerated delivery of the system
• Rapid delivery and deployment are sometimes more important
than functionality or long-term software maintainability
User engagement with the system
• Not only is the system more likely to meet user requirements,
they are more likely to commit to the use of the system
Evolutionary prototyping
Specification, design and implementation are
inter-twined
The system is developed as a series of
increments that are delivered to the customer
Techniques for rapid system development are
used such as CASE tools and 4GLs
Evolutionary Prototyping Disadvantages
Availability of specialist skills
• Specialist skills are required which may not be available in all
development teams
Maintenance over long term
• Continual change tends to corrupt system structure so long-term
maintenance is expensive
Incremental development
System is developed and delivered in increments after
establishing an overall architecture
Requirements and specifications for each increment may
be developed
Users may experiment with delivered increments while
others are being developed. therefore, these serve as a
form of prototype system
Intended to combine some of the advantages of
prototyping but with a more manageable process and
better system structure
Incremental development process
Define system
deliverables
Design system Specify system Build system Validate
architectur e increment increment increment
NO
Deliver final System Validate Integrate
system complete? system increment
YES
Throw-away prototyping
Used to reduce requirements risk
The prototype is developed from an initial
specification, delivered for experiment then
discarded
The throw-away prototype should NOT be
considered as a final system
• Some system characteristics may have been left out
• There is no specification for long-term maintenance
• The system will be poorly structured and difficult to maintain
Throw-away prototyping
Outline Develop Evaluate Specify
requirements prototype prototype system
Reusable
components
Delivered
Develop Validate software
software system system
Prototype delivery
Developers may be pressurized to deliver a
throw-away prototype as a final system
This is not recommended
• It may be impossible to tune the prototype to meet non-
functional requirements
• The prototype is undocumented
• Normal organizational quality standards may not have been
applied
Operational Prototyping
Used when requirements are either critical and understood or not
critical and poorly understood .
Throw away prototypes are selectively built on top of evolutionary
prototype
Prototyping benefits
Improved system usability
Closer match to the system needed
Improved maintainability
Reduced overall development effort
One can have a working system in beforehand
It brings the user to get involved in the system
design
Problems of Software Prototyping
Developers may loose the focus on real purpose of prototype and
comprise with the quality of system .
Prototyping will not reveal the non functional requirements like
robustness, safety etc .
Rapid prototyping techniques
Various techniques may be used for rapid
development
• High-level language development
• Database programming
• Component and application assembly
These are not exclusive techniques - they are
often used together
High-level languages
Some languages offer excellent UI development
facilities
Some languages have an integrated support
environment whose facilities may be used in the
prototype
Database programming languages
Domain specific languages for business systems
Normally include a database query language, a screen
generator, a report generator and a spreadsheet.
May be integrated with a CASE toolset
It is sometimes known as a fourth-generation language
(4GL)
Cost-effective for small to medium sized business
systems
Database programming
Interface
generator Spreadsheet
DB Report
programming generator
language
Database management system
Fourth-gener ation language
Component and application assembly
Prototypes can be created quickly from a set of
reusable components plus some mechanism to
‘glue’ these component together
The composition mechanism must include control
facilities and a mechanism for component
communication
The system specification must take into account
the availability and functionality of existing
components
User interface prototyping
Prototyping is essential for parts of the system such as
the user interface which cannot be effectively pre-
specified. Users must be involved in prototype evaluation
It is impossible to pre-specify the look and feel of a user
interface in an effective way.
UI development consumes an increasing part of overall
system development costs.
