Question

Do you agree with the following statement? Justify your answer.

*Although the industry is moving toward component-based construction, most software continues to be custom-built.

Answer 1

Yes , I agree with the above Statement.

Although the industry is moving toward component-based construction, most software continues to be custom-built.

To gain an understanding of software, it is important to examine the characteristics of software that make it different from other things that human beings build. Software is a logical rather than a physical system element. Therefore, software has characteristics that are considerably different than those of hardware:

1. Software is developed or engineered.

2. Software doesn't "wear out."

Consider the manner in which the control hardware for a computer-based product is designedand built.

The design engineer draws a simple schematic of the digital circuitry, does some fundamental analysis to assure that proper function will be achieved, and then goes to the shelfwhere catalogs of digital components exist.

Each integrated circuit (called an IC or a chip) has a part number, a defined and validated function, a well-defined interface, and a standard set of integration guidelines.

After each component is selected, it can be ordered off the shelf. Modern reusable components encapsulate data and processing into software parts to be reused by different programs. E.g. graphical user interface, window, pull-down
menus in library etc.

• The reusable components have been created so that the engineer can concentrate on the truly innovative elements of a design , that is , the parts of the design that represent something new.
• In the hardware world, component reuse is a natural part of the engineering process
• In the software World , it is something that has only begun to be achieved on a broad scale. A software component should be designed and implemented so that it can be reused in many different programs.