Refers to methods within the development cycle that guarantee reliable operation of the product.

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Ethics in Information Technology

By: George W. Reynolds

Chapter 7: Software Development

Summary

• High-quality software systems are easy to learn and use. Such systems perform

quickly and efficiently to meet their users’ needs, operate safely and reliably, and

have a high degree of availability that keeps unexpected downtime to a

minimum.

• High-quality software has long been required to support the fields of air traffic

control, nuclear power, automobile safety, health care, military and defense, and

space exploration, among others.

• Now that computers and software have become integral parts of almost every

business, the demand for high-quality software is increasing. End users cannot

afford system crashes, lost work, or lower productivity. Nor can they tolerate

security holes through which intruders can spread viruses, steal data, or shut

down Web sites.

• A software defect is any error that, if not removed, could cause a software

system to fail to meet its users’ needs.

• Software quality is the degree to which a software product meets the needs of

its users.

• Software developers are under extreme pressure to reduce the time to market

of their products. They are driven by the need to beat the competition in

delivering new functionality to users, to begin generating revenue to recover the

cost of development, and to show a profit for shareholders.

• The resources and time needed to ensure quality are often cut under the

intense pressure to ship a new software product. When forced to choose

between adding more user features and doing more testing, many software

companies decide in favor of more features.

• Software product liability claims are typically based on strict liability, negligence,

breach of warranty, or misrepresentation—sometimes in combination.

• A software development methodology defines the activities in the software

development process, defines individual and group responsibilities for

accomplishing objectives, recommends specific techniques for accomplishing the

objectives, and offers guidelines for managing the quality of the products during

the various stages of the development cycle.

What form of testing involves viewing the software unit as a device that has expected input and output behaviors but whose internal workings are unknown?

In which of the following is a defendant held responsible for injuring another person regardless of negligence or intent?