Productivity Software

.NADC-82183-50
A Software Engineering Environment for Weapon
System Software: Functional Description
for the Code and Test Phase
George Mebus
Software and Computer Directorate
NAVAL AIR DEVELOPMENT CENTER
Warminster, Pennsylvania 18974
1_. Purposes of a SEE
"Software Engineering" is concerned with developing software sys-
tems that satisfy the requirements of the user over the whole life of
the system; a SEE assists the accomplishment of software engineering
through sets of computer facilities, integrated software tools, and
uniform engineering procedures. The term "weapon system software"
inherently implies a concern with software for embedded computer sys-
tems and support over the entire life-cycle. Among the aims of a SEE
are to increase productivity, support development of reproducible
software and promote standardization of software and software develop-
ment methods. The industrialization of computer hardware is already
successful in these areas; the SEE will enable a similar industriali-
zation of computer software.
Productivity
To increase productivity, the SEE must let users work in the most
productive mental surroundings, i.e., at a high level of abstraction,
dealing with the problem they are to solve, rather than the details of

the host computer system. DoD recognized this when they emphasized
High Order Languages (HOL’s) and Ada1 in particular. The SEE must
automate what can be automated to free users of details irrelevant to
their work (how to access the compiler, organization of file struc-
tures, etc.), and guide users in systematic software development.
This guidance will both disencumber users and restrict what they
can do. Structured programming provides a taste of this freedom with
restriction. It makes one’s thinking about decisions easier by pro-
viding a standard set of control structures. It also restricts use of
a large class of possible control statements because they may
adversely affect program quality. Thus, productivity is enhanced by
both the provisions and the restrictions of structured programming.
The SEE’s guidance will have similar benefits.
Software sharing is also essential to increased productivity.
Repeated re-invention of software is a costly waste of resources.
Software developers should be able to make general, flexible
Ada is a Registered Trademark of the Ada Joint Program Office – U.S.
Government
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Anything would be worth a try, after all something else needs to be given a go

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