CIS1109 merged questions

Transcription

1 CIS1109 merged questions Score: 1. In a conversation with a "non-technically inclined" friend of yours, your friend keeps on referring to the actual physical device as the actual computing machine and that it (i.e. the physical device) is the source of computation. What would you say to your friend? Why? 2. With digitisation creeping into every aspect of our lives, it is becoming more and more confusing and fuzzy to determine what is and isn't a universal machine. How would you draw the proverbial line? 3. During a visit to your old school, the headmaster decides to ask you to give a short talk to secondary students explaining ICT as an option for study and career. You encounter an underlying apprehension with regards to programming. Several students seem to regard programming like something to avoid and something a career in ICT can make do without. How would you try to dispel these preconceptions and the true need of programming skills? 4. An ICT professional cannot but deal with the construction of digital solutions, but such solutions are basically algorithm-dependent, and are therefore as good as their underlying algorithms which in turn are dependent on. Can you complete the sentence and then explain in your own words what the sentence actually means? Page 1 of 10

2 5. What would you tell a person who tells you that being able to program well means that you must therefore be good at creating effective algorithms? "...and what about the inverse?" So again, you now need to explain your views on the reverse implication. 6. What does the Von Neumann architecture have to do with common programming constructs? 7. Complete the following text: "Processable data is to an algorithm like to a recipe? 8. How would you suggest the notion of quality be reasoned about in software development? 9. Machine-to-machine interfaces are found in specific types of systems. Which are these? Explain. Page 2 of 10

3 10. Peace of mind that the right product is being developed and delivered is crucial for both developers and clients. However, this peace of mind can be arrived at using different approaches for these two stakeholders. Explain these approaches and why each one is applicable to a specific stakeholder. 11. Software development can be seen as radically different from other forms of manufacture in terms of longevity of support. How so? Explain. 12. Is maintenance of a software solution related to its overall usefulness? Explain. 13. How can maintenance costs be controlled and how will this benefit stakeholders? 14. What reasoning should guide developers in the way modules they develop software modules? 15. In the modern digital world, data can be seen as the new computing platform. Explain. Page 3 of 10

4 16. Explain in your own words the difference between metaphors and mental models. 17. In terms of software solution development, what do you understand by making data in your solution as accessible as possible? 18. Natural language is a very handy way for humans to explain and share algorithms and other thoughts. This is all fine and necessary when it comes to casual and prosaic rendition, but what can you say about natural language when it comes to representing scientifically-precise concepts, like algorithms? 19. From all three main forms of algorithmic representation, a model based on which would you consider to be the most effective in general terms (i.e. not for one or another specific system type)? Why? 20. Developing a software solution for technically inclined users would be different than developing one for non-technically inclined (or even technically-challenged) users. Do you agree? Explain why and give one concrete example (not any used in class). Page 4 of 10

5 21. Would using generalised data in the development of a software solution benefit quality and value of the solution? Explain. Would this run counter to the property of customisation? Explain. 22. You have been made aware of some growth and evolutionary aspects of facets of ICT. Why do you think such evolutionary patterns direct focus? 23. Many talk about the emergence of ever-increasing "smartness" in an ever-increasing number of devices of ever-increasing mobility and pervasiveness. Jokingly (or not?) many question the long-term use of human developers in such a framework and scenario. What are your views regarding this? 24. Mitchell Kapor, founder of Lotus Development Corporation and designer of Lotus 1-2-3, investor founder of Mozilla Firefox, and creator of Second Life is quoted as saying: Getting information off the Internet is like taking a drink from a firehose. Explain in clear terms what you understand by this. 25. Outline the role of Cloud Technology in today's modern software solutions. Be sure to include a concrete example following and substantiating your explanation. Page 5 of 10

6 26. How is representing system behaviour through data flow analysis an effective way of describing an algorithm? 27. Which aspects of a solution does a context level DFD highlight? 28. Is interaction between external entities something that should be captured by a developer when specifying solution behaviour? Explain. 29. Explain the difference between internal and boundary flows. 30. As a developer, how would you decide what is represented as a data flow and what as a control flow? 31. What can serve as a CSPEC? Explain why. Page 6 of 10

7 32. DFDs describe system function. What do STDs describe? Explain how they achieve this. 33. Explain the difference between a data flow and a transition. 34. Why would events always be required to control a transition, but not the same can be said for outcomes? 35. How would you as a developer judiciously use STDs in the framework of a DFD such that the DFD model as a whole preserves the attributes of an effective diagrammatic model? Justify through reasoning. 36. Do you think that all DFD processes would necessarily need to be decomposed to the same level for the final specification to be coded? Explain. 37. How does linking STDs to specific control processes allow developers to "control abstraction"? Page 7 of 10

8 38. In what way are the transitions of an STD linked to a CFD? 39. Should only control flows act as STD events, or can data flows do so too? Explain. 40. Explain the issue of "state explosion" in STDs. How does embedding STDs in CFDs help resolve this issue? 41. Why is it important for developers to formally describe data structures used in their solutions? 42. Which component(s) of a DFD do DSDs apply to? Explain. 43. Explain why data structure description is not dependent or related to DFD decomposition level? Page 8 of 10

9 44. Is there a difference between a "fundamental data" type and an "enumerated data type" as used in DSDs? Explain your answer. 45. How is a DSD related to BNF notation? 46. Is it necessary for control flows to be describe through a formal notation, e.g. DSDs, or is this more applicable to data flows? Explain. 47. Explain how using universally defined modules in a naturally-occurring structure will increase the maintainability of a software solution. 48. Relate the concepts of complexity and maintainability. 49. Why is it enough to measure just two values when determining the complexity of a particular algorithm? Which are these two values? Explain their meaning. Page 9 of 10

10 50. How can the measures of coupling and cohesion be related? 51. Why can it be the case that use of common data structures be a negative attribute in one measure and a positive in another? Where can it be considered as negative and where as positive? 52. In your own words, describe 1) the tasks; 2) the skills associated with the responsibilities of an analyst in software development. 53. What is the value of a "business case" in the systems analysis process? 54. The most popular model-driven approach to systems analysis of commercial software solutions is an object-oriented one. Explain why this is so. 55. Reuse is an analysis method that can only gain momentum. Explain in your own words how this is so and why. Page 10 of 10