Today, software professionals recognize that change in software systems is inevitable. There are many systems currently in operation, however, which were developed before the need for change was understood. Such systems are commonly referred to as "legacy systems," and were developed with relatively short lifetimes in mind. Software engineering is a relatively young discipline which is continually improving to provide better support for the development of software systems. What were once state-of-the-art techniques, tools, and processes are now dated, and have resulted in systems which are...

Java for Practitioners doesn just provide an introduction to Java, it also tells you all about object orientation. One of the biggest problems with many of the Java books currently on the market is that they only teach the language and ignore the object orientation aspects (or at best just devote one chapter to it). Not only does John Hunt cover both Java and object orientation thoroughly but he also realises that practitioners learn best by oing'and he writes this book to reflect that. Chapters are dippable-into and ideas and concepts are introduced by exercises and practical...

This book is a translation ofthe accomplishment ofthe French engineer Ammar Attoui, who has set out to bring together the works of computer scientists and automotive engineers. Computer scientists have worked on the same type of systems as automotive engineers, but have used different designs, methods and tools. The former call the resultant systems "real-time systems," and the latter call them "discontinuous event systems." Today, telecommunications systems of increasing performance, and increasingly powerful multi-task operating and real time systems offer the possibilities of the...

Software Design - Cognitive Aspects covers a variety of areas including software analysis, design, coding and maintenance. It details the history of the research that has been conducted since the 1970s in this fast-developing field before defining a computer program from a computing and cognitive psychology viewpoint. Detailed treatment is given to the two essential sides of programming; software production and software understanding and throughout the book parallels are drawn between studies on processing texts written in natural language and processing computer programs.
This book...

Electronic Service Management is an emerging concept. It covers the organisational, economic technical and user issues involved when integrating the development of electronic services. This is particularly important (and more complicated) within public sector organisations.
Managing Electronic Services provides an easy to read and practical guide to portal-electronic services development in the public sector. The book takes an organisational perspective asking 'How do you make things work in your organisation and in relation to your customers or users?' By integrating the...

There has been a phenomenal growth in autonomous business services, fuelled largely by the internet and e-business. New business architectures are emerging, in which an enterprise is configured as a dynamic network of components providing business services to one another. Component-Based Business constitutes a radical challenge and tries to help improve how we think through the practical difficulties and opportunities of the component based business. "In this work so far, Richard challenges conventional thinking with a sometimes breathtaking series of lateral thoughts that are essential...

IT Training is, or should be, a major interest of any IT activity. But where to find out information about the ramifications of IT Training, and in a practical and readable form? Mary Clarkson's book is the answer. Developing IT Staff. A Practical Approach can be read as a training manual for IT Trainers, or as a reference handbook, or even as a series of vignettes concerning various aspects of IT Training. The book is a model of clear well-structured writing, obviously a follower of Nietzsche's quote: "It takes less time to learn how to write nobly than how to write lightly and...

Reviews of the 'Politics of Usability' by the same editors:
"Designing quality web sites or easy-to-use software is simple: just employ established usability engineering methods. The only hard part is getting people to actually do so instead of basing the design on their own intuition. Luckily, the authors in this book know all the devious tricks that are necessary to get development organizations to do the right thing. Follow their advice and the usability of your products will double."
Dr Jakob Nielsen, Sun Microsystems Distinguished Engineer, Author of 'Usability...

Outsourcing permeates the IT world and has had a profound impact on the work of IS professionals. Nearly all will, at some stage in their careers, work with outsourced services as customer or supplier. Elizabeth Sparrow's insights into the benefits and pitfalls of this complex area will help IS professionals tackle the challenges of outsourcing. Combining relevant background information with practical guidance this book covers the whole outsourcing process, from the initial decision to outsource through to managing the outsourced services on a day-to-day basis.

Successful...

Managing External Relations in Schools and Colleges