why software development is an engineering discipline
summary
Argues software development is a legitimate engineering discipline, not a failed “software engineering” nor merely an art, by comparing practices and constraints across fields and showing what actually works: code-as-document with executable specs (unit tests, RSpec, Cucumber), an iterative, empirical process (pair programming, short releases) that validates via cheap prototypes, and historical tests — e.g., the Boeing wing load test and Gaudí’s string model for Sagrada Família — demonstrating empirical validation often replaces heavy upfront math.
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chapters (8)
- 0:00Software engineering debate
- 1:51Misconceptions about SE
- 8:15What engineering really is
- 16:42Math vs engineering designs
- 29:07Defining software engineering
- 33:43Economics: SE vs traditional
- 40:54Empirical and rigorous SE
- 41:15Conclusion
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