Why maintenance consumes most software cost in Software Engineering - Quick Recap

Recall & Review

beginner

What is software maintenance?

Software maintenance is the process of modifying and updating software after its initial delivery to fix bugs, improve performance, or adapt to new environments.

beginner

Why does software maintenance often cost more than initial development?

Because software must be updated to fix unexpected bugs, adapt to changing user needs, and keep up with new hardware or software environments, which takes ongoing effort and resources.

intermediate

Name three types of software maintenance.

Corrective (fixing bugs), Adaptive (adjusting to new environments), and Perfective (improving performance or features).

intermediate

How does poor initial design affect maintenance costs?

Poor design can make software harder to understand and change, leading to more time and effort spent during maintenance, increasing costs.

beginner

What role does user feedback play in software maintenance?

User feedback helps identify bugs and needed improvements, guiding maintenance work to keep software useful and relevant.

Which of the following is NOT a reason why software maintenance costs are high?

A Users request new features and improvements

B Software must adapt to new hardware and software environments

C Initial development is always perfect and needs no changes

D Bugs are discovered after release

Initial development is rarely perfect; maintenance is needed to fix issues and adapt software.

What type of maintenance involves fixing errors found after software release?

A Adaptive maintenance

B Corrective maintenance

C Perfective maintenance

D Preventive maintenance

Corrective maintenance focuses on fixing bugs and errors.

How does changing user needs affect software maintenance?

A It increases maintenance work to add or change features

B It only affects initial development

C It has no effect on maintenance

D It reduces maintenance work

Changing user needs require updates and improvements, increasing maintenance.

Which factor can make maintenance more expensive?

A Clear and simple code

B Automated testing

C Good documentation

D Poor initial design

Poor design makes software harder to maintain, increasing costs.

Why is maintenance considered a continuous process?

A Because software environments and user needs keep changing

B Because software is deleted after use

C Because software never needs updates

D Because maintenance is done only once

Software must be maintained continuously to stay useful as conditions change.

Explain why software maintenance usually consumes more cost than initial development.

Think about what happens after software is first delivered.

Describe the different types of software maintenance and their purposes.

Consider maintenance as fixing, adapting, and improving.