Comparing software engineering and related fields

The relationships between software engineering and the fields of programming, computer science, and traditional engineering have been debated for decades. Software engineering resembles all of these fields, but important distinctions exist.

= Comparing programming =

Both programmers and software engineers work on all sizes of projects: small and large.

Programmers emphasize the task of writing code to produce working software applications, independent of budget and schedule.

Software engineering tries to encompass software projects more completely, including budget and schedule; fits in a large business context with relationships to marketing, sales, production, installation, training, support, and operations; and methods to construct large applications that individual programmers cannot write alone.

= Comparing computer science =

Many compare software engineering to computer science and information science like they compare traditional engineering to physics and chemistry.

About half of all software engineers earn computer science degrees. Yet on the job, practitioners do applied software engineering, which differs from doing theoretical computer science.

= Comparing traditional engineering =

Software engineers aspire to build low-cost, reliable, safe products; much like traditional engineers do. Software engineers borrow many metaphors and techniques from traditional engineering disciplines, including requirements analysis, quality control, and project management techniques. Traditional engineers also borrow many tools and practices from software engineers. Yet, there are also many differences between SE and TE.

In the U.S., there are about 10 times as many software engineers as computer engineers. The software engineering community is about 60% as large as the traditional engineering community.