TITLE:
Software Dysfunction: Why Do Software Fail?
AUTHORS:
Edward E. Ogheneovo
KEYWORDS:
Software, Software Dysfunction, Software Engineering, Programs, Programmers
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Computer and Communications,
Vol.2 No.6,
April
25,
2014
ABSTRACT: Software is pervasive in
modern society, but we are often unaware of its presence until problems arise.
Software is one of the most important and yet one of the most economically
challenging techniques of this era. As a purely intellectual product, it is
among the most labor-intensive, complex, and error-prone technologies in human
history. Until the 1970s, programmers were very meticulous in planning their code, rigorously
checking code, providing detailed documentation, and exhaustive testing before
the software is released to users. However, as computer became widespread,
attitudes changed. Instead of meticulously planning code, the attitude of the average
programmer today is possibly hacking sessions or writing any sloppy piece of
code and the compiler will run diagonally, a situation called, “code and fix”,
where the programmer tried to fix errors one by one until the software compiled
properly. As programs grew in size and complexity, the limits of this “code and
fix” approach became evident. In this paper, we studied the various reasons why
software fails. Our studies reveal that the major reasons why software fails
are poor or no design at all, inadequate testing of codes, and attitudinal
changes among programmers and other factors.