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.

Quality in Architecture

In this module, you will create Scenarios in order to document and verify quality attributes relevant to software architecture, including usability, performance, and more. Then, you will examine one specific quality attribute and its implications: security.

Quality in Implementation

In this module, you will explore a variety of quality aspects of the implementation stage of the lifecycle. You will also evaluate coding style guides and static analysis tools. Finally, you will analyze self-documentation in open-source code and identify the capabilities of version control and automated build tools.

Quality in Testing and Deployment

In this module, learners will discover quality in the final lifecycle stages: testing and deployment. Learners will first be instructed on the importance of test planning, understand what it means to evaluate tests and identify the benefits of test-first process. Then, a variety of resources will give learners understanding into continuous pipeline tools, allowing the learner to evaluate their potential benefits (and drawbacks) for their own projects.

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, 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

Quality software engineering practices course

According to students, this course is a solid choice for gaining valuable knowledge about quality software engineering practices. Learners say it offers engaging assignments, such as video presentations and peer reviews, that enhance their understanding of key concepts. The course's focus on industry standards and current trends is particularly well received, and many students appreciate the inclusion of practical examples. However, some students note that the course could benefit from more visual support and a reduction in the number of readings.

Course materials align with current industry practices.

"An amazing course that helps to learn the current standard industries in software development"

"I believe I've gained a lot of information from this course and I did enjoy the learning process"

"Once you already practical experience this course is enhancement proving and validating your skills."

Course offers challenges that lead to significant learning.

"It was a great journey, I'd like really to thank you"

"Well written and challenging. I learned a lot throughout!"

"Very challenging course but I have to say that I have learned a lot. "

Course emphasizes quality in software development.

"The course gives a new insight on the software development life cycle in terms terms of quality."

"The course covers a wide range of topics, without explaining any of them in detail."

"I learned a lot about evaluating different kinds of complexities etc."

Course materials may have technical issues, such as sound problems or hard-to-read slides.

"I was really looking forward to this particular course, but found the technical issues with many of the lessons to be distracting."

"There were sound problems on a couple of the videos and I found some of the course materials hard to follow."

"In all or nearly all of the videos the Instructor took up half of the screen (I don''t mind looking at the instructor, but in many cases the materials were hard to read on my screen because they were not the focus of the lesson)."

Course materials vary in quality and engagement.

"This course is having much to many readings - they do are interesting sometimes, but this is not the form I'd be expecting from an online course."

"The videos are relatively boring, with few slides that are vastly discussed, but without major substance."

"Overall the course will point you to many external readings, with even some of the links being broken."

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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 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

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

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 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

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

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

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 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

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

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

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