Revise Software project management: here is a selection of questions of every level, with the answer and an explanation. To test yourself without seeing the answers, play the quizzes.
Play the Software project management quizzesAnswer : The phases follow a strict order, each starting at the end of the previous one
In the waterfall model, each phase starts only when the previous one is finished, in a strict order.
Answer : Coding
Each phase of the descending branch has a symmetric test on the ascending branch: unit tests verify the coding.
Answer : Requirements definition
The descending branch starts with the definition of the customer's requirements, then goes down to coding before the tests come back up.
Answer : Validating an idea or an interface with users
A prototype is used to validate an idea or an interface with users before starting full development.
Answer : The spiral model
The spiral model, published by Barry Boehm in 1986, adds a risk assessment to each loop before development.
Answer : A usable functional part, added to the previous ones
An incremental approach delivers, at each stage, a functional part of the product, which is added to the previous deliveries.
Answer : 4
The Agile Manifesto, written in 2001, sets out four values, including customer collaboration and responding to change.
Answer : Checking that the software meets the needs expressed
Acceptance testing, or validation tests, checks that the product meets the needs expressed by the customer.
Answer : The sequence diagram
The sequence diagram places objects in columns and shows the messages exchanged from top to bottom, in time order.
Answer : An actor, who interacts with the system
An actor represents an external role, human or system, that interacts with the system under study.
Answer : A composition: the parts do not exist without the whole
A filled diamond denotes a composition: the parts do not exist without the whole. A hollow diamond denotes an aggregation.
Answer : Singleton
The Singleton pattern restricts a class to a single instance, accessible globally.
Answer : Automatically notifying dependent objects when a state changes
Observer lets an object automatically notify a list of dependent objects when its state changes.
Answer : Strategy
The Strategy pattern encapsulates interchangeable algorithms behind a common interface, chosen at run time.
Answer : Decorator
Decorator wraps an object in another object that implements the same interface and adds behavior.
Answer : Factory Method
Factory Method moves the choice of the class to instantiate to subclasses, which override the creation method.
Answer : Unit tests
The pyramid puts unit tests at the base, in large numbers, then integration tests, and end-to-end tests at the top, in small numbers.
Answer : Writing a failing test
The red, green, refactor cycle starts with a test that fails, then with the minimal code that makes it pass.
Answer : The proportion of lines executed during the tests
Coverage shows which lines are executed by the tests, but not whether the expected behavior is correct.
Answer : Spotting defects and sharing knowledge of the code within the team
A code review helps spot defects early and spreads knowledge of the code within the team.
Answer : Ward Cunningham
Ward Cunningham compared design shortcuts to a loan, whose interest is paid back later in complexity.
Answer : Restructuring the code without changing its observable behavior
Refactoring improves the internal structure of the code while its visible behavior stays the same, supported by tests.
Answer : When a feature is added while remaining compatible with the previous version
In semantic versioning, the MINOR number goes up for a backward-compatible new feature, and the MAJOR number for a breaking change.
Answer : The chain of tasks whose slipping pushes back the end of the project
The critical path is the chain of linked tasks with the longest total duration: any delay on it pushes back the end of the project.
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