George Mason University
DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE
SWE 437 - Software Testing and Maintenance
Spring 2016
T,R: 1:30 - 2:45pm, Innovation Hall 134



Prerequisites | Description | Readings | Grading | Late Policy | Home Page

Professor Richard Carver
703-993-1550
rcarver@cs.gmu.edu
Course office hours: T, R: 11:15-11:45am
Engineering Bldg Room 5318

TA: Sunitha Thummala , Office Hours: Thursdays from 10am to 12:30pm in Engineering building room 4456.

PREREQUISITES:
Grade of C or better in MATH 125 and CS 310

DESCRIPTION:
Concepts and techniques for testing and modifying software in evolving environments. Topics include software testing at the unit, module, subsystem, and system levels; developer testing; automatic and manual techniques for generating test data; testing concurrent and distributed software; designing and implementing software to increase maintainability and reuse; evaluating software for change; and validating software changes.

Course Outcomes:

  1. Knowledge of quantitative, technical, practical methods that software engineers and developers can use to test their software.
  2. Testing techniques and criteria for all phases of software development – unit (developer) testing, integration testing, system testing, etc.
  3. Theoretical and practical knowledge of how to apply test criteria to improve the quality of software
  4. Knowledge of modern challenges and procedures to update continuously evolving software
  5. Understanding of best quantitative programming and design practices for ensuring software can be efficiently and effectively modified and tested
  6. Understanding that maintainability and testability are more important than efficiency for almost all modern software projects

Textbook:
Required: Draft chapters from Introduction to Software Testing (edition 2), Ammann and Offutt. To be distributed through Piazza.
book website

Required: Test Driven: Practical TDD and Acceptance TDD for Java Developers, Lasse Koskela, Manning Publications, 2007, ISBN: 1-932394-85-0.
Amazon
Direct Safari Link
General Safari Link (off campus)

Optional: Introduction to Software Testing (edition 1), Ammann and Offutt, Cambridge University Press, 2008.
Direct Safari Link
General Safari Link (off campus)

GRADING:

There will be several homeworks and programming assignments. The homeworks and assignments can be done in groups of 2 or 3. Each member of a group is expected to contribute equally in order to get the same grade.

Homework assignments will be made available in Blackboard. Homeworks will be submitted in Blackboard.

50% of the course grade will be based on the programming assignments. In addition, there will be a mid-term exam worth 25% of the grade. The final will account for the remaining 25% of the grade.

LATE POLICY:

The late submission policy is as follows: submissions will be marked down 10% per day.

HONOR CODE:

Read the CS Department honor code: http://cs.gmu.edu/wiki/pmwiki.php/HonorCode/CSHonorCodePolicies and the University honor code: http://oai.gmu.edu/the-mason-honor-code/. You are bound by these honor codes. Any submitted work which shows too much commonality with others' work to be completely original, or any plagiarized work, will receive a grade of 0. Any code which is presented in class or provided to you as part of the project may be included in your programs.

CLASS HOME PAGE:

SWE 437 has a home page (http://www.cs.gmu.edu/~rcarver/swe437/)

If you are a student with a disability and you need academic accommodations, please see me and contact the Office of Disability Services (ODS) at 993-2474. All academic accommodations must be arranged through the ODS.

CALENDARS

GMU Academic Calendar    |    GMU Final Exam Schedule    |    Calendar of Religious Holidays

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