Engineering Practices for Building Quality Software from Coursera

Agile embraces change which means that team should be able to effectively make changes to the system as team learns about users and market. To be good at effectively making changes to the system, teams need to have engineering rigor and excellence else embracing change becomes very painful and expensive.

In this course, you will learn about engineering practices and processes that agile and traditional teams use to make sure the team is prepared for change. In additional, you will also learn about practices, techniques and processes that can help team build high quality software. You will also learn how to calculate a variety of quantitative metrics related to software quality.

This is an intermediate course, intended for learners with a background in software development. To succeed in the course, you should have experience developing in modern programming languages (e.g., Java, C#, Python, JavaScript), an understanding of software development lifecycle models, familiarity with UML diagrams (class and sequence diagrams), and a desire to better understand quality aspects of software development beyond program correctness.

At the end of this course, you will be able to comfortably and effectively participate in various techniques and processes for building secure and high quality software.

What's inside

Syllabus

Introduction to Quality Software

In this module, you will be introduced to the concept of quality as it relates to software.

Quality in Design

In this module, you will learn about a variety of quality metrics including how to calculate them. A discussion of design patterns follows, allowing you to gain a deeper understanding of the quality they provide and exposure to several important patterns.

Traffic lights

Read about what's good

what should give you pause

and possible dealbreakers

Provides a solid understanding of quality software development practices

Covers various quality metrics and their calculation, enabling learners to measure and improve software quality

Examines quality aspects in different stages of the software development lifecycle, from design to testing and deployment

Taught by Kevin Wendt, an experienced instructor in software development

Reviews summary

Engineering practices for quality software

According to learners, this course offers a largely positive overview of essential software engineering practices. Students praise its broad coverage, touching upon quality aspects from design through deployment. Many found the material relevant for professionals and appreciated how assignments reinforce concepts. Specific modules like testing and continuous pipelines, as well as quality metrics, were frequently highlighted as valuable. While the lectures are often described as clear and engaging, some reviewers noted a desire for more hands-on exercises or coding labs, feeling certain sections leaned more theoretical than practical. The course is seen as a solid foundation, though some wished for deeper dives into specific implementation details.

Course assignments help solidify understanding.

"The assignments reinforced the material well."

"The examples were clear and relevant."

"The modules are well-structured and build upon each other logically."

Testing, deployment, and metrics modules are well-received.

"The modules on testing and continuous pipelines were particularly helpful."

"I appreciated the focus on metrics and design patterns."

"The segment on static analysis tools was useful..."

"The section on quality metrics was new to me and very insightful."

"The testing and deployment part was particularly strong."

"The emphasis on metrics and continuous integration/delivery pipelines was very current and useful."

Material is highly relevant for industry professionals.

"Highly recommend for anyone wanting to improve software quality in their team."

"It's definitely geared towards professionals, which is perfect for me. I immediately started applying some of the techniques at work."

"The focus on practical applications and industry practices is a major plus. Highly relevant for anyone in software engineering."

"Recommended for professional developers."

Covers software quality from design to deployment.

"This course was exactly what I needed to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application of engineering practices."

"Good overview of various quality concepts. I appreciated the focus on metrics and design patterns."

"Fantastic course! It covers a wide range of essential topics for building robust software."

"A valuable course for understanding software quality from different angles - design, architecture, implementation, and testing."

"Top-notch content on software quality engineering. Very comprehensive, covering design to deployment."

Could benefit from more hands-on labs or coding.

"Some parts, like the security section, felt a bit rushed, and I wish there were more hands-on labs throughout the course..."

"The course provides a decent foundation, but it felt more theoretical than I expected for an intermediate course. I was hoping for more practical examples and coding exercises."

"Okay course, but uneven in quality. Some modules were great (like testing), others were too brief or abstract (like security or some architecture parts)."

"Solid introduction to engineering quality... It could use more practical coding exercises or examples, as some parts were quite theoretical."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Engineering Practices for Building Quality Software with these activities:

Review object-oriented programming concepts

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Review the fundamental principles of object-oriented programming to enhance your understanding and preparation for the course.

Browse courses on Object-Oriented Programming

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Revisit the concept of classes and objects
Review inheritance and polymorphism
Refresh your knowledge on design patterns

Read 'Clean Code' by Robert C. Martin

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Gain insights into best practices for writing clean, well-structured, and maintainable code, which is essential for building high-quality software.

View CLEAN CODE on Amazon

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Read the chapters on naming conventions and code organization
Follow the guidelines for writing readable and maintainable code

Create a diagram illustrating software architecture

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Enhance your understanding of software architecture by creating a visual representation of a system's components, their relationships, and their interactions.

Browse courses on Software Architecture

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Identify the key components of the system
Determine the relationships between the components
Create a diagram using UML or a similar notation

Four other activities

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Practice writing unit tests for different scenarios

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Strengthen your ability to write effective unit tests, ensuring the reliability and robustness of your code.

Browse courses on Unit Testing

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Write unit tests for positive and negative scenarios
Test for edge cases and boundary conditions

Attend a workshop on code versioning

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Gain practical experience with version control tools, enabling effective collaboration and tracking of code changes.

Browse courses on Version Control

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Learn how to use a version control system like Git
Practice branching and merging

Participate in a coding competition

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Test your problem-solving abilities and coding skills by participating in a coding competition, fostering innovation and excellence in software development.

Browse courses on Competitive Programming

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Choose a coding competition and register
Practice solving coding challenges
Participate in the competition and submit your solutions

Create a documentation for a software project

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Develop your skills in technical writing and documentation by creating a comprehensive document for a software project, ensuring clear communication and understanding of its design, implementation, and usage.

Browse courses on Software Documentation

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Gather information about the software project
Organize the documentation into logical sections
Write clear and concise instructions and explanations

Career center

Learners who complete Engineering Practices for Building Quality Software will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Software Quality Assurance Engineer

A Software Quality Assurance Engineer tests and evaluates software to ensure it meets quality standards. This course may be useful for those in this role, as it provides a foundation in engineering practices and processes used to build high quality software. The syllabus includes modules on software quality, design, architecture, implementation, and testing.

See salaries and explore the career path for Software Quality Assurance Engineer

Software Test Engineer

A Software Test Engineer tests and evaluates software to ensure it meets quality standards. This course may be useful for those in this role, as it provides a foundation in engineering practices and processes used to build high quality software. The syllabus includes modules on software quality, design, architecture, implementation, and testing.

See salaries and explore the career path for Software Test Engineer

Computer Systems Analyst

A Computer Systems Analyst analyzes, designs, and implements computer systems. This course may be useful for those in this role, as it provides a foundation in engineering practices and processes used to build high quality software. The syllabus includes modules on software quality, design, architecture, implementation, and testing.

See salaries and explore the career path for Computer Systems Analyst

Quality Assurance Analyst

A Quality Assurance Analyst tests software applications to ensure they meet quality standards. This course may be useful for those in this role, as it provides a foundation in engineering practices and processes used to build high quality software. The syllabus includes modules on software quality, design, architecture, implementation, and testing.

See salaries and explore the career path for Quality Assurance Analyst

Technical Project Manager

A Technical Project Manager leads and manages technical projects. This course may be useful for those in this role, as it provides a foundation in engineering practices and processes used to build high quality software. The syllabus includes modules on software quality, design, architecture, implementation, and testing.

See salaries and explore the career path for Technical Project Manager

Software Engineer

A Software Engineer designs, develops, and maintains software applications. This course may be useful for those in this role, as it provides a foundation in engineering practices and processes used to build high quality software. The syllabus includes modules on software quality, design, architecture, implementation, and testing.

See salaries and explore the career path for Software Engineer

DevOps Engineer

A DevOps Engineer collaborates with software developers and operations teams to ensure the smooth and efficient delivery of software applications. This course may be useful for those in this role, as it provides a foundation in engineering practices and processes used to build high quality software. The syllabus includes modules on software quality, design, architecture, implementation, and testing.

See salaries and explore the career path for DevOps Engineer

Software Development Manager

A Software Development Manager leads and manages software development teams. This course may be useful for those in this role, as it provides a foundation in engineering practices and processes used to build high quality software. The syllabus includes modules on software quality, design, architecture, implementation, and testing.

See salaries and explore the career path for Software Development Manager

Software Architect

A Software Architect leads technical initiatives and translates business requirements into software solutions. This course may be useful for those in this role, as it provides a foundation in engineering practices and processes used to build high quality software. The syllabus includes modules on software quality, design, architecture, implementation, and testing.

See salaries and explore the career path for Software Architect

Systems Analyst

A Systems Analyst analyzes and designs business systems. This course may be useful for those in this role, as it provides a foundation in engineering practices and processes used to build high quality software. The syllabus includes modules on software quality, design, architecture, implementation, and testing.

See salaries and explore the career path for Systems Analyst

Information Technology Consultant

An Information Technology Consultant provides consulting services to businesses on the use of information technology. This course may be useful for those in this role, as it provides a foundation in engineering practices and processes used to build high quality software. The syllabus includes modules on software quality, design, architecture, implementation, and testing.

See salaries and explore the career path for Information Technology Consultant

Cybersecurity Analyst

A Cybersecurity Analyst protects computer systems and networks from cyberattacks. This course may be useful for those in this role, as it provides a foundation in engineering practices and processes used to build high quality software. The syllabus includes modules on software quality, design, architecture, implementation, and testing.

See salaries and explore the career path for Cybersecurity Analyst

Business Analyst

A Business Analyst analyzes business needs and requirements. This course may be useful for those in this role, as it provides a foundation in engineering practices and processes used to build high quality software. The syllabus includes modules on software quality, design, architecture, implementation, and testing.

See salaries and explore the career path for Business Analyst

Network Administrator

A Network Administrator manages and maintains computer networks. This course may be useful for those in this role, as it provides a foundation in engineering practices and processes used to build high quality software. The syllabus includes modules on software quality, design, architecture, implementation, and testing.

See salaries and explore the career path for Network Administrator

Database Administrator

A Database Administrator manages and maintains databases. This course may be useful for those in this role, as it provides a foundation in engineering practices and processes used to build high quality software. The syllabus includes modules on software quality, design, architecture, implementation, and testing.

See salaries and explore the career path for Database Administrator