The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to software engineering: Software engineering – application of a systematic, disciplined, quantifiable approach to the development, operation, and maintenance of software; that is the application of engineering to software. The ACM Computing Classification system is a poly-hierarchical ontology that organizes the topics of the field and can be used in semantic web applications and as a de facto standard classification system for the field. The major section "Software and its Engineering" provides an outline and ontology for software engineering.

Software applications

Software engineers build software (applications, operating systems, system software) that people use. Applications influence software engineering by pressuring developers to solve problems in new ways. For example, consumer software emphasizes low cost, medical software emphasizes high quality, and Internet commerce software emphasizes rapid development.

Software engineering topics

Programming paradigm, based on a programming language technology

Databases

Graphical user interfaces

Programming tools

Libraries

Design languages

Patterns, document many common programming and project management techniques

Processes and methodologies

Platforms

A platform combines computer hardware and an operating system. As platforms grow more powerful and less costly, applications and tools grow more widely available.

Other Practices

Other tools

Computer science topics

Skilled software engineers know a lot of computer science including what is possible and impossible, and what is easy and hard for software.

Mathematics topics

Discrete mathematics is a key foundation of software engineering. Other

Life cycle phases

Deliverables

Deliverables must be developed for many SE projects. Software engineers rarely make all of these deliverables themselves. They usually cooperate with the writers, trainers, installers, marketers, technical support people, and others who make many of these deliverables.

Business roles

Management topics

Business topics

Software engineering profession

History of software engineering

History of software engineering

Pioneers

Many people made important contributions to SE technologies, practices, or applications. See also

Notable publications

Related fields