Desenvolvimento, testes e qualidade de software

RESUMO: Hoje em dia o software tornou-se num elemento útil na vida das pessoas e das empresas. Existe cada vez mais a necessidade de utilização de aplicações de qualidade, com o objectivo das empresas se diferenciarem no mercado. As empresas produtoras de software procuram aumentar a qualidade nos seus processos de desenvolvimento, com o objectivo de garantir a qualidade do produto final. A dimensão e complexidade do software aumentam a probabilidade do aparecimento de não-conformidades nestes produtos, resultando daí o interesse pela actividade de testes de software ao longo de todo o seu processo de concepção, desenvolvimento e manutenção. Muitos projectos de desenvolvimento de software são entregues com atraso por se verificar que na data prevista para a sua conclusão não têm um desempenho satisfatório ou por não serem confiáveis, ou ainda por serem difíceis de manter. Um bom planeamento das actividades de produção de software significa usualmente um aumento da eficiência de todo o processo produtivo, pois poderá diminuir a quantidade de defeitos e os custos que decorrem da sua correcção, aumentando a confiança na utilização do software e a facilidade da sua operação e manutenção. Assim se reconhece a importância da adopção de boas práticas no desenvolvimento do software. Para isso deve-se utilizar uma abordagem sistemática e organizada com o intuito de produzir software de qualidade. Esta tese descreve os principais modelos de desenvolvimento de software, a importância da engenharia dos requisitos, os processos de testes e principais validações da qualidade de software e como algumas empresas utilizam estes princípios no seu dia-a-dia, com o intuito de produzir um produto final mais fiável. Descreve ainda alguns exemplos como complemento ao contexto da tese. ABSTRACT: Nowadays the software has become a useful element in people's lives and it is increasingly a need for the use of quality applications from companies in order to differentiate in the market. The producers of software increase quality in their development processes, in order to ensuring final product quality. The complexity and size of software, increases the probability of the emergence of non-conformities in these products, this reason increases of interest in the business of testing software throughout the process design, development and maintenance. Many software development projects are postpone because in the date for delivered it’s has not performed satisfactorily, not to be trusted, or because it’s harder to maintain. A good planning of software production activities, usually means an increase in the efficiency of all production process, because it can decrease the number of defects and the costs of it’s correction, increasing the reliability of software in use, and make it easy to operate and maintenance. In this manner, it’s recognized the importance of adopting best practices in software development. To produce quality software, a systematic and organized approach must be used. This thesis describes the main models of software development, the importance of requirements engineering, testing processes and key validation of software quality and how some companies use these principles daily, in order to produce a final product more reliable. It also describes some examples in addition to the context of this thesis.

The design process paradox : traditional design processes vs. eco-design processes

The Brundtland Report (WCED, 1987) best known for its popularisation of the concept of sustainable development, also made recommendations for a new approach to design and production, setting out terms for: ‘a production system that respects... the ecological base’ and ‘a technological system that searches continuously for new solutions’. The industrial production, consumption and waste treatment of products today causes a large amount of various environmental burdens. The development and design of new products with reduced environmental impact is one of the new challenges towards a more sustainable society and is therefore an important task in the near future.

Research by Design is up and running

This paper explores the context of and developments in Research by Design (RbD) as currently developing in Schools of Architecture. It starts from noticing that the design studio is the core of the bachelor and master curriculum. Extending this position to PhD research implies the search for research where the design process is the main method of researching and creating knowledge and understanding. These developments connect to similar developments in the arts. Mode 1 and mode 2 knowledge, reflection and other knowledge processes are the base for developing knowledge for the field of architecture when practice and designing are the main method of research. The paper concludes with observing many PhD and research projects building on design activities and practice are currently under way and are supported by academia. They produce a specific type of knowledge and understanding, usually opening up problems and exploring boundaries.

Research based design: competition proposal for the Cyprus news agency

The paper attempts to explore the interrelation between a) the architects’ individualism and “pre-structures” b) research- based findings during the design process through experimentation and c)an integrated design approach, where morphology, construction and bioclimatic design are integrated from an early design stage. Through a thorough presentation and analysis of a competition proposal for the Cyprus News Agency, we discuss a number of important findings in relation to the present and possibly future form of the design studio. We suggest that the designer’s “prestructures” may not only be the basis for creative action, but also the basis for understanding and interpretation. Design informed and enriched at every stage by a research-based process, might well be the transmission and transformation of “prestructures”, a process of elaboration and discovery which facilitates and enhances design creativity and possibly allows for a multiplicity of approaches through a range of possibilities. Furthermore, an integrated approach from the early stages of the design process facilitates innovation in materials and systems.

''Rainbow Designer'' : for global and multicultural design

What do the designers tend to achieve? To relate themselves to the reality by producing visual registers of emotions and thoughts, or by projecting and producing objects that are functional, adapting technologies to daily needs. That requires that a designer be a keen observer of his physical surroundings and have a fine sensibility to cultures, enabling him to disassemble the latent forms of the reality and cultural symbolisms in order to perceive the order underlying them and the principles of their composition and unity. Only then could he reproduce the nature and respond to cultural callings. In this process of understanding the surrounding reality of nature and cultures, a designer always moves, generally without being aware of it, between two processes: identity search and self-identification.