Forum for Advancing Software engineering Education (FASE) Volume 10 Number 08 (127th Issue) - August 15, 2000 972 subscribers Note: If you have problems with the format of this document, try ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Table of Contents Next Month's Topic: SE as a Profession After the Withdrawal (Revised Description) News Items ACM Position on SE Licensing - Final Version (July 17, 2000) Communications of the ACM Forum on Licensing Issue (continued) FASE-TALK Discussion Thread on ACM's Withdrawal NSPE Forum Topics on Software Engineering Calls for Participation CSEE&T 2001 - Expanded Call Advance Programs Asia-Pacific Conference on Quality Software Contact and General Information about FASE ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Next Month's Topic: Status of Software Engineering as a Profession After the ACM Withdrawal from SWEcc (Revised Description) Topic Editor: Don Bagert (Professional Issues/Misc Editor) ACM's vote to withdraw from the Software Engineering Coordinating Committee (see "ACM Withdraws from SWEcc" in the July 2000 issue) leaves the status of the development of software engineering as a profession uncertain. The September FASE will attempt to provide a wide variety of opinions on this important issue. Some questions that might be addressed by contributors include: * Do you believe that software engineering is a professional discipline distinct from other computing and engineering disciplines? For instance, does it have a common core body of knowledge and a code of ethics and professional practices that is different from computer science, computing engineering, and other engineering disciplines? Should software engineering be a separate academic degree program on the undergraduate and/or graduate levels? * Given recent events, how should the software engineering community proceed, if at all, with "projects that further the evolution of software engineering as a professional computing discipline..." (from "A Summary of the ACM Position on Software Engineering as a Licensed Engineering Profession", http://www.acm.org/serving/se_policy/selep_main.html, Executive Summary, last sentence) * What is the outlook for the licensing of software engineers in the USA, Canada and other countries? Have programs in other countries (such as having software engineers become Chartered Engineers in the United Kingdom) been successful? What is your opinion concerning the licensing of software engineers? Who, if anyone, should be licensed, and what should the criteria for licensing be? How much effect can the actions of ACM and other professional societies have on licensing, which is done by governmental bodies? * What is your opinion about the efforts of the SWEBOK project (http://www.swebok.org) to develop a software engineering body of knowledge? Of course, contributions on the topic are not limited to answering these questions. If you would like to contribute, please contact the editor for this topic at Don.Bagert@ttu.edu. Submissions will be due by September 8. [Thanks to Dave Parnas, Philippe Kruchten and Anthony Finkelstein for several suggestions which led to the creation of this revised description by the Topic Editor.] ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ News Items ###################################################################### By: Don Bagert (Professional Issues/Misc Editor) ACM Position on SE Licensing - Final Version (July 17, 2000) ACM has revised its "A Summary of the ACM Position on Software Engineering as a Licensed Engineering Profession" since the last issue, when FASE reported on it ("ACM Withdraws from SWEcc", July 2000 issue, released on 15 July). The "Final Version" is dated July 17, 2000, and is still at http://www.acm.org/serving/se_policy/selep_main.html. (It should be noted that the previous version of the document at that URL gave no indication on whether it was a draft or a final version.) ###################################################################### By: Don Bagert (Professional Issues/Misc Editor) Communications of the ACM Forum on Licensing Issue (continued) The May 2000 issue of FASE had the article "Communications of the ACM Forum on Licensing Issue", which reported that four letters to the editor were written in response to the February 2000 Communications of the ACM (CACM) "Viewpoint" article entitled "Not Now, Not Like This" on the licensing of software engineers, written by three authors speaking for a majority of the ACM Council. Those letter appeared in the May issue of CACM; three of the four respondents, including Nancy Mead (a FASE Advisory Committee member) took issue with ACM Council's position to not be involved in any software engineering licensing efforts, while one anonymous respondent supported the ACM Council's decision. The August 2000 CACM (on pp. 13-14) published a letter by James L. Rash that disagreed with Dr. Mead's views. The primary conclusion that he comes to is that "It just may be, after all, that software development is largely an art, not purely an engineering practice." ###################################################################### By: Don Bagert (Professional Issues/Misc Editor) FASE-TALK Discussion Thread on ACM's Withdrawal Since the July 2000 issue of FASE, there have been a number of comments posted on FASE-TALK concerning ACM's Withdrawal from the Software Engineering Coordinating Committee. An archive of these comments can be found at http://www.cs.ttu.edu/fase/fase-talk.htm#SWEcc_Withdrawal ###################################################################### By: Don Bagert (Professional Issues/Misc Editor) NSPE Forum Topics on Software Engineering The USA-based National Society of Professional Engineers has recently started several discussion forums on its web site, including one on industry issues. (Go to http://www.nspe.org/discuss.asp, and then click on the link labeled "Engineering in Industry Issues".) Two discussion threads related to software engineering, entitled "Competent & Ethical Software Engineers" and "Debate on Licensing of Software Engineers", are currently ongoing. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Calls for Participation ###################################################################### From: Robert Dupuis CSEE&T 2001 - Expanded Call CALL FOR PAPERS 14th Conference on Software Engineering Education & Training Theme: In Search of a Software Engineering Profession February 19-21 2001 Charlotte, NC, USA Please join a host of international educators and trainers in the software engineering discipline for the premier conference in North America on education and training of professional software developers. The 14th Conference on Software Engineering Education and Training (CSEE&T '2001) continues a tradition of offering direction, promoting innovation and collaboration, and stimulating new instructional approaches to software engineering education and training. CSEE&T is devoted entirely to improvement in software engineering education and training. The theme of CSEE&T'2001 is "in search of a software engineering profession" and therefore we are seeking papers that discuss the elements of a mature discipline (*). These elements are: - initial professional education (graduate and undergraduate curricula) - accreditation of university programs - skills development (co-op programs, internships, apprenticeships, etc.) - certification of software engineering practitioners - licensing of software engineering practitioners - professional development (additional study undertaken after professional practice) - code of ethics - professional societies (*) G. Ford and N. E. Gibbs, "A Mature Profession of Software Engineering," Software Engineering Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Technical CMU/SEI-96-TR-004, January 1996. See www.sei.cmu.edu/publications/documents/96.reports/96.tr.004.html The Guide to the Software Engineering Body of Knowledge (SWEBOK) (www.swebok.org) will be used to structure the program of the conference itself. Specific tracks will therefore be scheduled to present contributions that discuss one or more elements of a mature discipline in regards to the SWEBOK Knowledge Areas: - Software Requirements - Software Design - Software Construction - Software Testing - Software Maintenance - Software Configuration Management - Software Engineering Management - Software Engineering Methods and Tools - Software Engineering Process - Software Quality Specific tracks will also be scheduled to present papers that discuss one or more elements of a mature discipline in regards of the Related Disciplines of Software Engineering as identified by the Guide to the Software Engineering Body of Knowledge (cognitive science and human factors, computer engineering, computer science, management and management science, mathematics, project management, systems engineering). Papers are being sought that contribute to two important debates: - What portion of the Related Discipline is relevant to software engineering and should be included in software engineering education and training programs? - What portion of software engineering is relevant to one or more Related Discipline and should be included in their education and training program? Submissions. You are invited to submit research papers, experience reports, proposals for panel discussions and tutorials, and position statements for workshops in the above and other areas of software engineering education and training. You are also invited to suggest innovative topics for informal meetings and birds-of-a-feather sessions. Accepted contributions will appear in the conference proceedings. CSEE&T '2001 will also include 90 minute and half-day workshops designed to provide a forum for a group of workshop participants to exchange experiences and opinions on topics related to the conference theme. All conference attendees are welcome to attend and participate in the workshops. Participation as a panelist in a workshop typically depends on submission of a position statement. Information concerning the workshops (in order to submit position papers) will be available by August 29, 2000. Position statements for potential panelists must be submitted to the workshop co-chairs by September 19, 2000. Notification of acceptance as a workshop panelist will be made by November 3, 2000. Accepted position statements will be published in the conference proceedings. Workshop proposals may be submitted to the workshop co-chairs by August 15. Panels will be held in debate form. Short position statements will be followed by debates among the various viewpoints. You are invited to submit panel topics for which such debates may be interesting and useful to the community. Please submit panel proposals to the panel chair by September 15. The 2001 conference will coordinate and synchronize its schedules with the ACM's SIGCSE Symposium on Computer Science Education. Joint events are planned to provide an opportunity for both software engineers and computer scientists to exchange ideas on how their activities can be more effectively integrated. For additional details, please contact the Program Chairs or see the web address. Conference Chair: Dawn Ramsey Southern Polytechnic State University United States dramsey@spsu.edu Program Chairs: Robert Dupuis Universite du Quebec a Montreal Canada dupuis.robert@uqam.ca Pierre Bourque, Ecole de technologie superieure Canada bourque.pierre@uqam.ca Steering Committee Don Bagert, Texas Tech University David Budgen, Keele University Neal Coulter, Florida Atlantic University Dennis Frailey, Raytheon Peter Knoke, University of Alaska Fairbanks Michael Lutz, Rochester Institute of Technology Mike McCracken, Georgia Tech Nancy Mead, Software Engineering Institute Susan Mengel, Texas Tech University Michael Ryan, Dublin City University Hossein Saiedian, University of Nebraska at Omaha Program Committee (to be announced) Tutorials/Workshops Chairs: Jeanne Murtagh, Air Force Institute of Technology Jeanne.Murtagh@afit.af.mil John A. Hamilton Jr., Naval Postgraduate School hamiltoj@spawar.navy.mil Panels Chair: Ann Sobel, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio sobelae@muohio.edu Submission Due Dates Workshop Proposals: August 15, 2000 Release of workshop descriptions in solicitation of additional panelists for the workshops: August 29, 2000 Research Papers, Experience Reports, Workshop panelists' Position Papers, Tutorial and Panel Proposals: September 19, 2000 Notification of Acceptance: November 3, 2000 Camera-ready copies due: December 15, 2000 For additional information about submission requirements and conference updates please see: http://www.lrgl.uqam.ca/cseet2001 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Advance Programs ###################################################################### From: T.H. Tse THE FIRST ASIA-PACIFIC CONFERENCE ON QUALITY SOFTWARE (APAQS 2000) New World Renaissance Hotel Kowloon, Hong Kong October 30-31, 2000 ______________________________________________________________________ ADVANCE PROGRAM 66 papers were submitted to APAQS 2000 from over twenty countries from within and outside the Asia-Pacific region. 35 quality papers were selected by an international program committee. The proceedings will be published by IEEE Computer Society Press, Los Alamitos, California. The following is an advance program. Registration material and further information are available at http://www.csis.hku.hk/~apaqs We look forward to your participation. Our apologies if you have received multiple copies of this advance program. ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ MONDAY OCTOBER 30 ______________________________________________________________________ REGISTRATION 8:30-9:30 A.M. ______________________________________________________________________ OPENING SESSION 9:30-10:45 A.M. ______________________________________________________________________ - Welcome Address from the General Chair Danny Tang, General Manager of Information Technology, Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation, Hong Kong - Program Overview T.H. Tse and T.Y. Chen, Program Co-Chairs - Keynote Speech I K.H. Lau, Director of Information Technology Services, Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region ______________________________________________________________________ COFFEE BREAK 10:45-11:15 A.M. ______________________________________________________________________ PARALLEL SESSIONS 1 11:15 A.M.-12:30 P.M. ______________________________________________________________________ Session 1A: Web-Based Systems - A practice on performance testing for web-based systems W.-K. Chang and S.-K. Hon, Tunghai University, Taiwan - Object-based data flow testing of web applications C.-H. Liu, D.C. Kung, and P. Hsia, University of Texas at Arlington; C.-T. Hsu, Sun Microsystems, Inc., USA - Object driven performance testing in web applications B.M. Subraya and S.V. Subrahmaa, Infosys Technologies, India Session 1B: Distributed, Concurrent and Real-Time Systems - Control of nondeterminism in testing distributed multithreaded programs X. Cai and J. Chen, University of Windsor, Canada - An approach to analysing dependency of concurrent programs Z. Chen and B. Xu, Southeast University, China; H. Yang, De Montfort University, UK; K. Liu, Staffordshire University, UK; Jianping Zhang, Utah State University, USA - Modelling and verification of network player system with DCValid J. Wang and Q. Xu, United Nations University International Institute for Software Technology, Macau; H. Ma, Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunication, China ______________________________________________________________________ LUNCH 12:30-2:00 P.M. ______________________________________________________________________ PARALLEL SESSIONS 2 2:00-3:15 P.M. ______________________________________________________________________ Session 2A: Metrics and Models - A formal metric for assessing polymorphism in object-oriented systems C. Pons and L. Usina, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Argentina; M. Prieto, J.P. Morgan Bank, Argentina - A framework for quantifying error proneness in software R. Sitte, Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus, Australia - Software quality prediction using mixture models with EM algorithm P. Guo and M.R. Lyu, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Session 2B: Software Testing I - On the determination of an appropriate time for ending the software testing process N. Malevris and E. Petrova, Athens University of Economics and Business, Greece - Testing of large number multiplication functions in cryptographic systems T.H. Tse, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong; T.Y. Chen, Swinburne University of Technology, Australia; Z. Zhou, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong - An approach to modify and test expired window logic W.T. Tsai, Arizona State University and University of Minnesota, USA; X. Bai, Arizona State University, USA; R. Paul, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense, USA; G. Devaraj and V. Agarwal, University of Minnesota, USA ______________________________________________________________________ COFFEE BREAK 3:15-3:45 P.M. ______________________________________________________________________ PARALLEL SESSIONS 3 3:45-5:00 P.M. ______________________________________________________________________ Session 3A: Object-Oriented Models and Design - An object-oriented web test model for testing web applications D.C. Kung, C.-H. Liu, and P. Hsia, University of Texas at Arlington, USA - Object-oriented design function points D.J. Ram and S.V.G.K. Raju, Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, India - Quality metrics of object-oriented design for software development and re-development K. Liu, Staffordshire University, UK; S. Zhou and H. Yang, De Montfort University, UK Session 3B: Software Testing II - BS 7925-2 the software component testing standard S.C. Reid, Cranfield University, UK - On the completeness of test cases for atomic arithmetic expressions T.H. Tse, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong; T.Y. Chen, Swinburne University of Technology, Australia; X. Feng, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong - Testing for imperfect integration of legacy software components D. Flater, National Institute of Standards and Technology, USA ______________________________________________________________________ CONFERENCE BANQUET 6:30 P.M. FOR 7:30 P.M. ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ TUESDAY OCTOBER 31 ______________________________________________________________________ PLENARY SESSION 9:15-10:15 P.M. ______________________________________________________________________ - Keynote Speech II Stephen Yau, Arizona State University, USA ______________________________________________________________________ COFFEE BREAK 10:15-10:45 A.M. ______________________________________________________________________ PARALLEL SESSIONS 4 10:45 A.M.-12:25 P.M. ______________________________________________________________________ Session 4A: Software Quality Assurance - How to teach practical software quality assurance: an experience report J.B. Thompson and H.M. Edwards, University of Sunderland, UK - The 9 quadrant model for code reviews R. Prakash, Tata Consultancy Services, India - Investigating the effect of a second software inspection pass cost-benefit data from a large-scale experiment on reinspection of a software requirements document S. Biffl, M. Halling, and M. Kohle, Technische Universitat Wien, Austria Session 4B: Formal Methods Special Guest Session Chair: Hans-Dieter Ehrich, Technische Universitaet Carolo-Wilhelmina zu Braunschweig, Germany - Formal modelling of interactive systems D. Goldson, Massey University Albany Campus, New Zealand - Refinement and modular verification with observers A. Merceron, University of Sidney, Australia G.M. Pinna, Universita di Siena, Italy - TDL: a language for transition diagrams in the derivation of LOTOS specifications Y. Sun, The Queen's University of Belfast, UK H. Yang, De Montfort University, UK A. Dix, Staffordshire University, UK - Incremental analysis of security protocols using model checking W. Wen, Science University of Tokyo, Japan ______________________________________________________________________ LUNCH 12:30-2:00 P.M. ______________________________________________________________________ PARALLEL SESSIONS 5 2:00-3:15 P.M. ______________________________________________________________________ Session 5A: Industrial Experience - Software management learning experience in a multi-discipline and multi-contract project environment S. Wong, Mass Transit Railway Corporation, Hong Kong - Benefits accrued by the 6 sigma approach M. Murugappan and R. Sokhi, Tata Consultancy Services, India - Software project measurement criteria I.M. Hampton and B.W.T. Quinn, Mass Transit Railway Corporation, Hong Kong Session 5B: Test Case Generation - Specification analysis and test data generation by solving boolean combinations of numeric constraints Jian Zhang, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China - White on black: a white-box-oriented approach for selecting black-box-generated test cases T.Y. Chen, Swinburne University of Technology, Australia; P.L. Poon and S.F. Tang, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong; Y.T. Yu, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong - Towards a more efficient way of generating test cases: class graphs K.R.P.H. Leung, Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education, Hong Kong; W. Wong, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong ______________________________________________________________________ COFFEE BREAK 3:15-3:45 P.M. ______________________________________________________________________ PARALLEL SESSIONS 6 3:45-4:35 P.M. ______________________________________________________________________ Session 6A: Prototyping - A model and prototype tool to manage software risks A.A. Keshlaf, Industrial Research Center, Tripoli, Libya; K. Hashim, Universiti Tun Abdul Razak, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - Abductive approach to prototyping data flow diagrams E.T.H. Fung, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Session 6B: Electronic Commerce - E-business testing: user perceptions and performance issues A. Rudolf and R. Pirker, IBM Global Services, Vienna, Austria - A reference infrastructure for electronic commerce Y. Li, W. Li, and H.B.K. Tan, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Contact and General Information about FASE FASE is published on the 15th of each month by the FASE staff. Send newsletter articles to one of the editors, preferably by category: Articles pertinent to academic education to Tom Hilburn ; corporate and government training to David Carter ; professional issues and all other categories to Don Bagert . If the article is for a FASE topic where there is a guest editor, the submission should instead be to that person. Items must be submitted by the 8th of the month in order to be considered for inclusion in that month's issue. Also, please see the submission guidelines immediately below. FASE submission format guidelines: All submissions must be in ASCII format, and contain no more than 70 characters per line (71 including the new line character). This 70-character/line format must be viewable in a text editor such as Microsoft Notepad WITHOUT using a "word wrap" facility. All characters (outside of the newline) should in the ASCII code range from 32 to 126 (i.e. "printable" in DOS text mode). _____ Subscribe/Unsubscribe Information (as of February 15, 2000) Everyone that is receiving this by email is on the FASE mailing list. If you wish to leave this list, send a message to and, in the text of your message (not the subject line), write: unsubscribe fase To rejoin (or have someone else join) the FASE mailing list, write to and, in the text of your message (not the subject line), write: subscribe fase For instance, if your name is Jane Smith, write: subscribe fase Jane Smith But what if you have something that you want to share with everyone else, before the next issue? For more real-time discussion, there is the FASE-TALK discussion list. It is our hope that it will be to FASE readers what the SIGCSE.members listserv is to that group. (For those of you that don't know, SIGCSE is the ACM Special Interest Group on Computer Science Education.) To subscribe to the FASE-TALK list, write to and, in the text of your message (not the subject line), write: subscribe fase-talk For instance, if your name is Jane Smith, write: subscribe fase-talk Jane Smith Please try to limit FASE-TALK to discussion items related to software engineering education, training and professional issues; CFPs and other such items can still be submitted to the editor for inclusion into FASE. Anyone that belongs to the FASE-TALK mailing list can post to it. As always, there is no cost for subscribing to either FASE or FASE-TALK! (Subscriptions can also be maintained through the Web via http://lyris.acs.ttu.edu. From there, click on "TTU Faculty Mailing Lists", and then either "fase" or "fase-talk", depending on which list you desire.) _____ Back issues (dating from the very first issue) can be found on the web (with each Table of Contents) at in chronological order, in reverse order, or through ftp at . _____ The FASE Staff: Tom Hilburn -- Academic Editor Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Department of Computing and Mathematics Daytona Beach FL 32114 USA Phone: 904-226-6889 Fax: 904-226-6678 Email: hilburn@db.erau.edu URL: http://faculty.erau.edu/hilburn/ David Carter -- Corporate/Government Editor 6212 Mil Mar Blvd Alexandria LA 71302 USA Phone: 318-767-2339 Email: dacarter@bayou.com Don Bagert, P.E. -- Professional Issues/Misc Editor and Web/Listmaster Department of Computer Science 8th and Boston Texas Tech University Lubbock TX 79409-3104 USA Phone: 806-742-1189 Fax: 806-742-3519 Email: Don.Bagert@ttu.edu URL: http://www.cs.ttu.edu/faculty/bagert.html Laurie Werth -- Advisory Committee Taylor Hall 2.124 University of Texas at Austin Austin TX 78712 USA Phone: 512-471-9535 Fax: 512-471-8885 Email: lwerth@cs.utexas.edu Nancy Mead -- Advisory Committee Software Engineering Institute 5000 Forbes Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15213 USA Phone: 412-268-5756 Fax: 412-268-5758 Email: nrm@sei.cmu.edu