AI agents have recently shown significant promise in software engineering. Much public attention has been transfixed on the topic of code generation from Large Language Models (LLMs) via a prompt. However, software engineering is much more than programming, and AI agents go far beyond instructions given by a prompt. At the code level, common software tasks include code generation, testing, and program repair. Design level software tasks may include architecture exploration, requirements understanding, and requirements enforcement at the code level. Each of these software tasks involves micro-decisions which can be taken autonomously by an AI agent, aided by program analysis tools. This creates the vision of an AI software engineer, where the AI agent can be seen as a member of a development team. Conceptually, the key to successfully developing trustworthy agentic AI-based software workflows will be to resolve the core difficulty in software engineering - the deciphering and clarification of developer intent. Specification inference, or deciphering the intent, thus lies at the heart of many software tasks, including software maintenance and program repair. A successful deployment of agentic technology into software engineering would involve making conceptual progress in such intent inference via agents. Trusting the AI agent becomes a key aspect, as software engineering becomes more automated. Higher automation also leads to higher volume of code being automatically generated, and then integrated into code-bases. Thus to deal with this explosion, an emerging direction is AI-based verification and validation (V & V) of AI generated code. We posit that agentic software workflows in future will include such AIbased V&V.
Engineering design risks could cause unaffordable losses, and thus risk assessment plays a critical role in engineering design. On the other hand, the high complexity of modern engineering designs makes it difficult to assess risks effectively and accurately due to the complex two-way, dynamic causal-effect risk relations in engineering designs. To address this problem, this paper proposes a new risk assessment method called token fuzzy cognitive map (Token-FCM). Its basic idea is to model the two-way causal-risk relations with the FCM method, and then augment FCM with a token mechanism to model the dynamics in causal-effect risk relations. Furthermore, the fuzzy sets and the group decision-making method are introduced to initialize the Token-FCM method so that comprehensive and accurate risk assessments can be attained. The effectiveness of the proposed method has been demonstrated by a real example of engine design for a horizontal directional drilling machine.
Energy noise indicators are generally used to characterize the exposure of populations to transportation noise in relation to their long-term annoyance, but they do not adequately reflect the repetitive nature of noise peaks generated by railway traffic. The GENIFER project aims to test a study protocol designed to rank railway noise events according to the instantaneous annoyance they cause to residents. This study will be carried out in a sector exposed to railway noise in the {Î}le-de-France region and will require the recruitment of 60 volunteer local residents. It will propose the use of innovative tools for collecting information, including an electronic remote-control allowing participants to rate the annoyance they feel when trains pass by, and noise sensor instrumentation allowing the simultaneous collection of the acoustic characteristics of railway noise peaks. It also includes semi-directive interviews and a questionnaire to identify co-determinants of annoyance. The instantaneous annoyance scores collected will also be compared with those obtained from commented listening to sound samples of passing trains. In addition to assessing the acceptability of the protocol by the participants, this study aims to validate the feasibility of ranking railway noise events according to their acoustic characteristics in terms of the annoyance expressed.
Bastiaan Heeren, Fabiano Dalpiaz, Mazyar Seraj
et al.
Software engineering educators strive to continuously improve their courses and programs. Understanding the current state of practice of software engineering higher education can empower educators to critically assess their courses, fine-tune them by benchmarking against observed practices, and ultimately enhance their curricula. In this study, we aim to provide an encompassing analysis of higher education on software engineering by considering the higher educational offering of an entire European country, namely the Netherlands. We leverage a crowd-sourced analysis process by considering 10 Dutch universities and 207 university courses. The courses are analysed via knowledge areas adopted from the SWEBOK. The mapping process is refined via homogenisation and internal consistency improvement phases, and is followed by a data analysis phase. Given its fundamental nature, Construction and Programming is the most covered knowledge area at Bachelor level. Other knowledge areas are equally covered at Bachelor and Master level (e.g., software engineering models), while more advanced ones are almost exclusively covered at Master level. We identify three clusters of tightly coupled knowledge areas: (i) requirements, architecture, and design, (ii) testing, verification, and security, and (iii) process-oriented and DevOps topics. Dutch universities generally cover all knowledge areas uniformly, with minor deviations reflecting institutional research strengths. Our results highlight correlations among key knowledge areas and their potential for enhancing integrated learning. We also identify underrepresented areas, such as software engineering economics, which educators may consider including in curricula. We invite researchers to use our research method in their own geographical region, in order to contrast software engineering education programs across the globe.
Allysson Allex Araújo, Marcos Kalinowski, Daniel Graziotin
This paper explores the intricate challenge of understanding and measuring software engineer behavior. More specifically, we revolve around a central question: How can we enhance our understanding of software engineer behavior? Grounded in the nuanced complexities addressed within Behavioral Software Engineering (BSE), we advocate for holistic methods that integrate quantitative measures, such as psychometric instruments, and qualitative data from diverse sources. Furthermore, we delve into the relevance of this challenge within national and international contexts, highlighting the increasing interest in understanding software engineer behavior. Real-world initiatives and academic endeavors are also examined to underscore the potential for advancing this research agenda and, consequently, refining software engineering practices based on behavioral aspects. Lastly, this paper addresses different ways to evaluate the progress of this challenge by leveraging methodological skills derived from behavioral sciences, ultimately contributing to a deeper understanding of software engineer behavior and software engineering practices.
Alvaro M. Aparicio-Morales, Enrique Moguel, Luis Mariano Bibbo
et al.
Quantum computing represents a revolutionary computational paradigm with the potential to address challenges beyond classical computers' capabilities. The development of robust quantum software is indispensable to unlock the full potential of quantum computing. Like classical software, quantum software is expected to be complex and extensive, needing the establishment of a specialized field known as Quantum Software Engineering. Recognizing the regional focus on Latin America within this special issue, we have boarded on an in-depth inquiry encompassing a systematic mapping study of existing literature and a comprehensive survey of experts in the field. This rigorous research effort aims to illuminate the current landscape of Quantum Software Engineering initiatives undertaken by universities, research institutes, and companies across Latin America. This exhaustive study aims to provide information on the progress, challenges, and opportunities in Quantum Software Engineering in the Latin American context. By promoting a more in-depth understanding of cutting-edge developments in this burgeoning field, our research aims to serve as a potential stimulus to initiate pioneering initiatives and encourage collaborative efforts among Latin American researchers.
While the methodological rigor of computing research has improved considerably in the past two decades, quantitative software engineering research is hampered by immature measures and inattention to theory. Measurement-the principled assignment of numbers to phenomena-is intrinsically difficult because observation is predicated upon not only theoretical concepts but also the values and perspective of the research. Despite several previous attempts to raise awareness of more sophisticated approaches to measurement and the importance of quantitatively assessing reliability and validity, measurement issues continue to be widely ignored. The reasons are unknown, but differences in typical engineering and computer science graduate training programs (compared to psychology and management, for example) are involved. This chapter therefore reviews key concepts in the science of measurement and applies them to software engineering research. A series of exercises for applying important measurement concepts to the reader's research are included, and a sample dataset for the reader to try some of the statistical procedures mentioned is provided.
Taiwo A. Adebiyi, Nafeezat A. Ajenifuja, Ruda Zhang
Digital twin (DT) technology has received immense attention over the years due to the promises it presents to various stakeholders in science and engineering. As a result, different thematic areas of DT have been explored. This is no different in specific fields such as manufacturing, automation, oil and gas, and civil engineering, leading to fragmented approaches for field-specific applications. The civil engineering industry is further disadvantaged in this regard as it relies on external techniques by other engineering fields for its DT adoption. A rising consequence of these extensions is a concentrated application of DT to the operations and maintenance phase. On another spectrum, Building Information Modeling (BIM) is pervasively utilized in the planning/design phase, and the transient nature of the construction phase remains a challenge for its DT adoption. In this paper, we present a phase-based development of DT in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction industry. We commence by presenting succinct expositions on DT as a concept and as a service, and establish a five-level scale system. Furthermore, we present separately a systematic literature review of the conventional techniques employed at each civil engineering phase. In this regard, we identified enabling technologies such as computer vision for extended sensing and the Internet of Things for reliable integration. Ultimately, we attempt to reveal DT as an important tool across the entire life cycle of civil engineering projects, and nudge researchers to think more holistically in their quest for the integration of DT for civil engineering applications.
Eriks Klotins, Michael Unterkalmsteiner, Tony Gorschek
Background - Startup companies are becoming important suppliers of innovative and software intensive products. The failure rate among startups is high due to lack of resources, immaturity, multiple influences and dynamic technologies. However, software product engineering is the core activity in startups, therefore inadequacies in applied engineering practices might be a significant contributing factor for high failure rates. Aim - This study identifies and categorizes software engineering knowledge areas utilized in startups to map out the state-of-art, identifying gaps for further research. Method - We perform a systematic literature mapping study, applying snowball sampling to identify relevant primary studies. Results - We have identified 54 practices from 14 studies. Although 11 of 15 main knowledge areas from SWEBOK are covered, a large part of categories is not. Conclusions - Existing research does not provide reliable support for software engineering in any phase of a startup life cycle. Transfer of results to other startups is difficult due to low rigor in current studies.
In today's world, many cities are embracing cutting-edge technology and transforming into "smart cities". These emerging innovations are revolutionizing the standard of living for people, and as a result, smart city infrastructure development has become a major focus for city planners and policymakers worldwide. The goal is to create more livable, sustainable, and efficient urban environments, and software engineering plays a crucial role in achieving this. In this article, we will delve into what makes a city "smart" and what it means for the future. We will explore the software engineering roadmap for smart city infrastructure development, highlighting the goals and challenges that come with this innovative approach to urban planning. Our aim is to provide valuable insights into the importance of software engineering in achieving successful smart city infrastructure development. As cities continue to grow and evolve, it is essential to adopt new technologies that can help us build smarter, more sustainable communities. Smart city initiatives are paving the way for a brighter future, and software engineering is at the forefront of this movement. By understanding the software engineering roadmap for smart city infrastructure development, we can work towards creating more livable, efficient, and sustainable urban environments for generations to come.
Mohamed Ladaoui Benferhat, Samira Debache Benzagouta, Abdelouahab Bouttout
et al.
This paper aims at evaluating the acoustical quality of historical Ottoman masjids in Algeria. Measurements were carried out according to current international standards, allowing calculation of acoustical parameters including reverberation time, speech transmission index and Clarity. Three Ottoman masjids located in Algiers (Jedid, Ali-Bitchin, and Safir) were selected. The main purpose of the study was to evaluate the acoustics of the prayer hall in relation to its worship use, assuming as a reference studies of existing masjids. Results showed that two of three worship spaces are generally reverberant under unoccupied conditions (with mid frequency reverberation times of about 3 s), while the other has reverberation time of about 1 s at medium frequencies. Speech intelligibility under unoccupied conditions is between poor and fair for Jedid and Ali-Bitchin masjids, while in Safir masjid values were generally above 0.6. Presence of architectural elements made C50 values quite scattered and characterized by a clear non-symmetrical distribution. Calculations to consider the effect of occupancy were also performed, resulting in significantly drier acoustics with improved clarity.
In recent years Open Innovation (OI) has gained much attention and made firms aware that they need to consider the open environment surrounding them. To facilitate this shift Requirements Engineering (RE) needs to be adapted in order to manage the increase and complexity of new requirements sources as well as networks of stakeholders. In response we build on and advance an earlier proposed software engineering framework for fostering OI, focusing on stakeholder management, when to open up, and prioritization and release planning. Literature in open source RE is contrasted against recent findings of OI in software engineering to establish a current view of the area. Based on the synthesized findings we propose a research agenda within the areas under focus, along with a framing-model to help researchers frame and break down their research questions to consider the different angles implied by the OI model.
Optical geometric-phase metasurface provides a robust and efficient means for light control by simply manipulating the spatial orientations of the in-plane anisotropic meta-atoms, where polarization conversion plays a vital role. However, the concept of acoustic geometric-phase modulation for acoustic field control remains unexplored because airborne acoustic waves lack a similar optical polarization conversion process. In this work, a new type of acoustic meta-atom with deep subwavelength feature size is theoretically investigated and further applied to acoustic field engineering based on the so-called acoustic geometric phase. Herein, tunable acoustic geometric-phase modulation of designated order is obtained via the near-field coupled orbital angular momentum transfer process, and the topological charge-multiplexed acoustic geometric phase endows our meta-arrays with multiple functionalities. Our work extends the capacity of acoustic meta-arrays in high-quality acoustic field reconstruction and offers new possibilities in multifunctional acoustic meta-holograms.
Robots are being applied in a vast range of fields, leading researchers and practitioners to write tasks more complex than in the past. The robot software complexity increases the difficulty of engineering the robot's software components with quality requirements. Researchers and practitioners have applied software engineering (SE) approaches and robotic domains to address this issue in the last two decades. This study aims to identify, classify and evaluate the current state-of-the-art Software Engineering for Robotic Systems (SERS). We systematically selected and analyzed 50 primary studies extracted from an automated search on Scopus digital library and manual search on the two editions of the RoSE workshop. We present three main contributions. Firstly, we provide an analysis from three following perspectives: demographics of publication, SE areas applied in robotics domains, and RSE findings. Secondly, we show a catalogue of research studies that apply software engineering techniques in the robotic domain, classified with the SWEBOK guide. We have identified 5 of 15 software engineering areas from the SWEBOK guide applied explicitly in robotic domains. The majority of the studies focused on the development phase (design, models and methods and construction). Testing and quality software areas have little coverage in SERS. Finally, we identify research opportunities and gaps in software engineering for robotic systems for future studies.
Many scientific and practical areas have shown increasing interest in reaping the benefits of blockchain technology to empower software systems. However, the unique characteristics and requirements associated with Blockchain Based Software (BBS) systems raise new challenges across the development lifecycle that entail an extensive improvement of conventional software engineering. This article presents a systematic literature review of the state-of-the-art in BBS engineering research from a software engineering perspective. We characterize BBS engineering from the theoretical foundations, processes, models, and roles and discuss a rich repertoire of key development activities, principles, challenges, and techniques. The focus and depth of this survey not only gives software engineering practitioners and researchers a consolidated body of knowledge about current BBS development but also underpins a starting point for further research in this field.
Nowadays it is inevitable to use intelligent systems to improve the performance and optimization of different components of devices or factories. Furthermore, it's so essential to have appropriate predictions to make better decisions in businesses, medical studies, and engineering studies, etc. One of the newest and most widely used of these methods is a field called Data Science that all of the scientists, engineers, and factories need to learn and use in their careers. This article briefly introduced data science and reviewed its methods, especially it's usages in mechanical engineering and challenges and ways of developing data science in mechanical engineering. In the introduction, different definitions of data science and its background in technology reviewed. In the following, data science methodology which is the process that a data scientist needs to do in its works been discussed. Further, some researches in the mechanical engineering area that used data science methods in their studies, are reviewed. Eventually, it has been discussed according to the subjects that have been reviewed in the article, why it is necessary to use data science in mechanical engineering researches and projects.
Nicolas Anquetil, Anne Etien, Mahugnon H. Houekpetodji
et al.
Advanced reverse engineering tools are required to cope with the complexity of software systems and the specific requirements of numerous different tasks (re-architecturing, migration, evolution). Consequently, reverse engineering tools should adapt to a wide range of situations. Yet, because they require a large infrastructure investment, being able to reuse these tools is key. Moose is a reverse engineering environment answering these requirements. While Moose started as a research project 20 years ago, it is also used in industrial projects, exposing itself to all these difficulties. In this paper we present ModMoose, the new version of Moose. ModMoose revolves around a new meta-model, modular and extensible; a new toolset of generic tools (query module, visualization engine, ...); and an open architecture supporting the synchronization and interaction of tools per task. With ModMoose, tool developers can develop specific meta-models by reusing existing elementary concepts, and dedicated reverse engineering tools that can interact with the existing ones.