A Concept Study for a National Software Engineering Database
Abstract
Substantial segments of the software engineering community perceive a need for high-quality software engineering data at a national level. A national software engineering database has been proposed as one way to satisfy this need. But is such a database feasible, and can it really satisfy these needs? This report provides information obtained from an informal survey of members of the software engineering community about a national database. The survey served as a means of identifying the expectations that are to be met by building a national database. It also provided an opportunity to learn from the experiences of those surveyed about data collection and use. The report summarizes this material in a manner that is informative and expository rather than prescriptive. This document is not a blueprint for building a national database; it does not contain details about why or how a database should be built. Nor does the existence of this report represent a commitment of the Software Engineering Institute (SEI) to plan or implement a national database. Rather, the report is a loosely structured study with often-times conflicting opinions and recommendations from knowledgeable members of the software engineering community. Thus, the objectives of this document are to do the following: (1) Articulate needs perceived by the software engineering community, (2) Highlight important issues expressed by the software engineering community, (3) Present advice and recommendations from the software engineering community, and (4) Describe briefly past and present similar database efforts.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 01, 1992
- Accession Number
- ADA258254
Entities
People
- Patricia B. Van Verth
Organizations
- Carnegie Mellon University