Category Archives: CS@Worcester

The Uml digram

 

The blog
post, UML Diagrams – Everything You Need to Know to Improve Team Collaboration,
provides a clear explanation of Unified Modeling Language(UML) Diagram, its
usage and types ending with how it helps to visualize the project. Starting
off, the blog covers the usage of UML diagrams, continuing with its key uses,
forward design, modeling before coding to plan a system, and backward design, modeling
after coding to document a finished system. Also, it covers the thirteen UML diagram
types and what each type shows and describes what each type represents and how
it contributes to visualizing processes effectively.

I chose this
article as it summarizes clearly what the UML diagram, its usage, how the UML
diagram can be used to collaborate with other teammates. First was that since
the class, I felt that I needed to understand UML diagrams better as I still
did not get what use does it has. The fact that it emphasizes UML diagram as
white board for building and analyzing the system the team gave me some reason
for understanding more about UML diagram. Not only that, but the article also
clearly goes in-depth about the UML diagram that goes way in depth compared to
the course of behavioral and structural diagrams and how they can fit together
in real-world workflows. Overall, this blog clarified how UML diagrams support
collaboration as a visual tools to help team members to see and discuss system
structures and behaviors. It made me view UML not just as an academic
requirement but as a practical communication tool that can strengthen teamwork
in future software projects.

           After
looking at the article and learning more about UML diagram, I felt like even
though it might not be perfect, that I might have to use it for future use. When
coding I have something on my mind to create, but when trying to explain it or comment
on the structure of the code. Sometimes others don’t understand or sometimes I cannot
remember why I did that later. Not only that, but the rough draft of the
structure can also be used when talking with other teammates because I cannot
do everything by myself and we need to see the same picture, and I think UML diagram
will be the virtual whiteboard for it.  

 

https://www.bluescape.com/resource-library/uml-diagrams-everything-you-need-to-know-to-improve-team-collaboration

From the blog Sung Jin's CS Devlopemnt Blog by Unknown and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

The Uml digram

 

The blog
post, UML Diagrams – Everything You Need to Know to Improve Team Collaboration,
provides a clear explanation of Unified Modeling Language(UML) Diagram, its
usage and types ending with how it helps to visualize the project. Starting
off, the blog covers the usage of UML diagrams, continuing with its key uses,
forward design, modeling before coding to plan a system, and backward design, modeling
after coding to document a finished system. Also, it covers the thirteen UML diagram
types and what each type shows and describes what each type represents and how
it contributes to visualizing processes effectively.

I chose this
article as it summarizes clearly what the UML diagram, its usage, how the UML
diagram can be used to collaborate with other teammates. First was that since
the class, I felt that I needed to understand UML diagrams better as I still
did not get what use does it has. The fact that it emphasizes UML diagram as
white board for building and analyzing the system the team gave me some reason
for understanding more about UML diagram. Not only that, but the article also
clearly goes in-depth about the UML diagram that goes way in depth compared to
the course of behavioral and structural diagrams and how they can fit together
in real-world workflows. Overall, this blog clarified how UML diagrams support
collaboration as a visual tools to help team members to see and discuss system
structures and behaviors. It made me view UML not just as an academic
requirement but as a practical communication tool that can strengthen teamwork
in future software projects.

           After
looking at the article and learning more about UML diagram, I felt like even
though it might not be perfect, that I might have to use it for future use. When
coding I have something on my mind to create, but when trying to explain it or comment
on the structure of the code. Sometimes others don’t understand or sometimes I cannot
remember why I did that later. Not only that, but the rough draft of the
structure can also be used when talking with other teammates because I cannot
do everything by myself and we need to see the same picture, and I think UML diagram
will be the virtual whiteboard for it.  

 

https://www.bluescape.com/resource-library/uml-diagrams-everything-you-need-to-know-to-improve-team-collaboration

From the blog Sung Jin's CS Devlopemnt Blog by Unknown and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

Blog Post for Quarter 1

October 5th, 2025

Recently, I’ve been working on using Git. This came in the form of using a little bit of GitHub, a little bit of GitLab, and the textbook made to help instruct me on how to use them. I began to learn the basics of repositories, and how to make edits and pull requests.

For example, I am now able to create a fork from a repository, create a remote origin, a clone of that onto my local device, make edits using Visual Studio Code, stage those edits, commit those edits, push those edits back to my remote origin, then establish a pull request. And a little bit more. So far, this Quarter of my class has been pretty interesting. I will note how the public changes and such are very interesting to me. I don’t usually like being in public places often because I assume I should be competent before doing anything in public, but oh well.

For the blog post I selected, I wanted to know just a smidge more about Git, since I was learning about it. (This will be linked below at the bottom of this post.) It mostly discusses the future plans for Git and potential for AI.

Honestly, there isn’t much for me to really do from this. I just note how AI appears to be Git stuff I currently use, so that’s mildly interesting. Though, I found it interesting that Git, much like I, is currently developing. It’s fun to think about how I learn and improve as a person that other things in the world are doing the same. While they are wildly different contexts, I find it cool. Everything is always changing and such. Even as I learn, I make notes that aren’t in the textbook to myself. Git will probably always get things added by various different people as well.

It encourages and intimidates me in some way. It’s very cool that by the time I “get caught up” it’ll be better than what I’m currently using, but at the same time, what if everything I learned becomes redundant? Though, for me, I was always a person to enjoy experiences, and I never really liked the idea of a limit. If anything, it is just more “fun” for me. There’s more to learn and I’ll never be caught up. My experiences will lead to my growth, so when the time comes, I’ll be much more suited to using the new tools that arrive.

https://github.blog/open-source/whats-next-for-git-20-years-in-the-community-is-still-pushing-forward/

From the blog CS@Worcester – Ryan's Blog Maybe. by Ryan N and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

Reflection on “Coding Standards and Guidelines”

by: Queenstar Kyere Gyamfi

The GeeksforGeeks article “Coding Standards and Guidelines” highlights the importance of writing code that is clean and consistent. It also underlines the need for code that is easy to understand. It explains that coding standards are a set of rules and conventions that help developers maintain clarity and quality across a project. These standards cover areas such as naming conventions, indentation, code structure, comments, and documentation. The article emphasizes that following standards is not about limiting creativity. It is about making sure that everyone working on a project can easily read and maintain the code. It also points out that coding guidelines help prevent errors. They make debugging easier. They ensure that software projects remain manageable as they grow.

I chose this resource because I’ve noticed how quickly group projects can become messy. Each person having a different coding style contributes to this messiness. I’ve always cared about writing code that works. I’ve started realizing that how the code looks and reads is just as important. This is especially true in team environments. This article stood out to me because it clearly explained the purpose behind coding standards.

One key lesson I learned from this article is that consistency builds trust among developers. When everyone follows the same structure, it becomes easier to understand, review, and modify code written by others. The article also reinforced the idea that good code should be self-explanatory. For example, meaningful variable names like totalPrice or userCount communicate intent better than short, unclear ones like x or val. I also learned how proper indentation and spacing make code more readable and reduce the risk of logic errors that come from misaligned statements or missing braces.

Reading this resource made me reflect on my own coding habits. Sometimes, when I’m rushing to finish an assignment, I skip comments or mix naming styles without thinking about how confusing it might be later. Now, I see that writing clean code is an investment as it saves time when debugging and helps others understand what I meant. I also want to use tools like linters and formatters to automatically enforce standards in my projects.

Overall, this article helped me understand that coding standards are not about perfection but they are about communication. Clean, organized code reflects professionalism and respect for the next person who will read it. It reminded me that in software process management, technical skills and teamwork go hand in hand. Writing code that others can easily follow is one of the best ways to contribute to a project’s long-term success.

LINK TO RESOURCE:

https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/software-engineering/coding-standards-and-guidelines/

From the blog CS@Worcester – Circuit Star | Tech & Business Insights by Queenstar Kyere Gyamfi and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

CS348-01: First Blog

The First Blog

Software process models are definitely something that I feel like as a student taking CS348: Software Process Management should have an idea or an understanding of. They are frameworks that define the sequence of events like activities, tasks, and the deliverables that are required to develop software. “These models act as a roadmap, providing a step-by-step guide for software development teams.”

And there are quite a few key components to software process models that are essential for successful software development. Requirements gathering and analysis, design and architecture, coding and implementation, testing and quality assurance, and finally, deployment and maintenance are these essential components.

“Design and architecture focus on creating a blueprint for the software. It involves designing the overall structure, defining the modules and components, and establishing their relationships. This phase lays the groundwork for the coding and implementation phase. Coding and implementation are where the actual development takes place. Developers write the code based on the design specifications, bringing the software to life. This phase requires attention to detail and adherence to coding standards to ensure a high-quality end product. Testing and quality assurance are crucial to ensure that the software meets the desired quality standards. This phase involves various testing techniques, such as unit testing, integration testing, and system testing, to identify and fix any bugs or issues. Deployment and maintenance involve releasing the software to the end-users and providing ongoing support. This phase includes activities like installation, configuration, and user training.”

In simple words: design and architecture is the planning stage where it draws up blueprints to figure out the big picture before the actual building. Coding and implementation is the building stage where the developers write the code using the plan made as a guide, to make it neat and make sure the code is correct for a good final product. Testing and quality assurance is the checking stage, they run many different tests to ensure that code is working from individual parts to groups of parts and then the whole system. And finally, deployment and maintenance is the launch and support stage where the team can get the finished product out to the users and keep it running well.
And these stages are used in many different types of models. The waterfall model– which is a linear, sequential approach– to the agile model where it has flexibility and adaptability when it comes to planning– and to the iterative model that focuses on incremental development.

Source: https://www.institutedata.com/us/blog/understand-software-process-models/ 

From the blog CS@Worcester – The Progress of Allana R by Allana Richardson and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

What the “Grug Brained Developer” Teaches Us About Software Process Managment

Link: The Grug Brained Developer

For my self-directed professional development blog, I chose to read The Grug Brained Developer by Carson Gross, who founded the Hypermedia Research Group at Montana State. On the website, a free, digital version of his book, Gross manages to distill complex software wisdom into simple, almost primitive advice. Written like a caveman developer, it explores core ideas and fundamentals of coding and communication in a way that’s both funny and accurate.

The article’s central theme is simplicity. Grug constantly emphasizes avoiding unnecessary complexity in both design and process. He warns against over-engineering, over-abstracting, and blindly following trends—ideas that directly connect to what we’ve discussed in CS-348 about software process management principles like iterative improvement, communication, and agile adaptability. In short, Grug argues that most of software development isn’t about doing more, but about doing less and doing it better.

I selected this resource because it presents timeless software management lessons through a format that’s approachable and memorable. Rather than reading another dry technical essay on process maturity or workflow optimization, this post made me think deeply about how simplicity affects process management. In a course where we analyze methodologies like Scrum and Kanban, it’s easy to lose sight of the human side of software development—how teams actually think, communicate, and make decisions. The Grug Brain post brings that perspective back.

What stood out to me most was the section where Grug says, “If no can understand code, no one can fix. Then bug live forever.” This humorous line perfectly encapsulates why clear process and communication are essential to good software engineering. It aligns with our course’s emphasis on maintainability and collaboration. A well-defined process isn’t just bureaucracy—it’s what ensures that projects remain sustainable when team members change or systems evolve.

I also learned how simplicity ties into continuous improvement. In agile environments, each sprint is a chance to refine not just code, but the process itself. Grug’s idea that “small simple thing better than big clever thing” echoes this perfectly: effective software process management focuses on clarity, iteration, and team alignment over cleverness or premature optimization.

Reflecting on this, I realized that I often over complicate my own projects—whether by designing too many abstractions or worrying too much about tools instead of workflow. Going forward, I plan to apply Grug’s philosophy by prioritizing clarity in both my code and my project management habits. That means writing simpler documentation, refining processes only when necessary, and valuing human understanding above technical elegance.

In summary, The Grug Brained Developer provides a surprisingly profound take on process management: simplicity and communication are the real foundations of sustainable software development. I’ll carry this mindset into my future work, reminding myself that even in a world of complex methodologies, sometimes the best process is the simplest one.

From the blog CS@Worcester – My Coding Blog by Jared Delaney and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

Navigating UML

I read the article Navigating Complex UML Diagrams: Tips and Tricks for Developers. This gives a lot of insights into practical strategies that you can use to maintain and understand UML Diagrams, specifically larger ones. This article focused on UML stereotypes and the organization of diagrams. UML stereotypes are an extension of standard UML elements. Developers use these to add more specific definitions. Stereotypes allow you to label a class, an interface, or a service component, etc.  This adds a layer to help the diagram effectively communicate the structure and intention of the code. The article also suggested using color coding for groups to emphasize relationships. Keeping your layout styles and naming conventions consistent and clear is also very important. UML allows architects and developers to show both the structure and behavior. These diagrams can be extremely important in a collaborative environment. Having a clear UML diagram would keep everyone on the same page and help avoid having to rework code. UML can also help show off early architectural flaws before you put time into a project. Since you can visualize the relations, dependencies, coupling, and flow before any of it is implemented, you can prevent issues. Many of my issues with coding come from the planning aspect of it. I plan on continuing to get better at making these diagrams because I feel they can have a very positive impact on my coding. It can be difficult to picture how different parts of a program will come together, and it can become very overwhelming very quickly. It’s also interesting how different UML diagrams serve unique purposes. Visual Paradigms, UML Practice Guide, says structural diagrams like class, component, and package diagrams are good for showing how different parts of a system fit together, while behavioral diagrams like sequence and activity show how things interact over time. With this separation, a developer can handle one part of the design at a time, instead of trying to understand everything at once. There also exist Artificial intelligence tools that can support UML. PlantText AI, Visual Paradigm Smart Assistant, and PlantText AI can help save time and reduce manual errors. In the future, I’m curious if this is something that will still be manually done, or if AI will spread deep into this too. I can’t see these diagrams ever losing importance, but I do question if humans are going to be directly making these in the future. Either way,  I am excited to practice these techniques and implement UML diagrams into my planning.

https://moldstud.com/articles/p-navigating-complex-uml-diagrams-tips-and-tricks-for-developers

From the blog CS@Worcester – Aaron Nanos Software Blog by Aaron Nano and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

VCS Safety Net: Protecting Code and Empowering Collaboration

For this quarter’s blog post, I chose to deepen my understanding of Version Control systems (VCS), specifically how tools like Git and platforms like GitHub and GitLab function within the software development lifecycle. Learning new tools and techniques takes continued practice, and learning Git was no different. My goal with this content is to strengthen my knowledge of the core concepts and purpose behind these vital tools, which is what my Software Process Management course is currently emphasizing working with and practicing.

I focused on a website from GitHub itself, which explained what version control is. I chose this resource because it provides a foundational explanation of VCS, its types, and current popular tools. This article, “What is Version Control?”, defines VCS as systems that give members working on the same project complete visibility into the history of the code, and centralize all members’ work. It describes how Distributed Version Control Systems (DVCS), like Git, are essential for software development. It explains key concepts including the ability to track every change, work independently, propose code additions, and safely integrate changes while preventing conflicts. In other words, the process of commits, branching, pull requests, and merging; all fundamental processes we are focusing on in my course.

Before this course, and diving into resources, my understanding of Git was minimal. I gained a much deeper grasp of how VCS tools are both seen as a safety net and a coordination tool. Branching is one of the most important steps within the software development process, as it allows a team (of however many or little) to work synchronously on a project without fear of overwriting or corrupting the main code. Allowing team members to work independently, cohesively, and in a time-efficient manner; while also being able to access and review modifications made by other members via accessing their branch of the project. 

Although all of the information is important, the section on best practices particularly resonated with me. While working with Git, we are encouraged to save changes in small increments, making sure to write a helpful commit message, rather than making large changes and saving at the end. Seeing this best practice emphasized in the article reinforced its importance. Using this technique significantly reduces conflicts and makes debugging errors and explaining changes much simpler. 

I expect that I will continue using Git throughout my professional career, and I plan to apply this understanding immediately as I continue working with Git in class. My goal is to use this knowledge and helpful techniques to practice improving my execution and workflow. I will prioritize working in small increments, committing those small changes, and reviewing my changes to ensure my progress is meeting expectations and to also contribute to the team’s collaboration.

Link to Main Resource:
– https://github.com/resources/articles/software-development/what-is-version-control – What is Version Control?

Link to Additional Resources:
– https://www.cbh.com/insights/articles/collaboration-tools-changing-the-workplace-landscape/ – Collaboration Tools Changing the Landscape of the Workplace

– https://www.planview.com/resources/articles/software-development-collaboration-tools-a-detailed-buyers-guide/ – Software Development Collaboration Tools: A Buyer’s Guide for Empowering Agile Teams

– https://fullscale.io/blog/benefits-collaborative-software-development/ – The Benefits of Collaborative Software Development

– https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/git/version-control-systems/# – Version Control Systems

– https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/git/what-is-git/ – What is Git?

– https://github.com/resources/articles/software-development/what-is-software-development – What is Software Development?

From the blog CS@Worcester – Vision Create Innovate by Elizabeth Baker and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

UML Diagrams…Why?

For this quarter’s blog post, I chose to deepen my understanding of Unified Modeling Language (UML) Diagrams, which directly relates to current coursework in my Software Construction, Design, and Architecture class of translating between code and visual diagrams (i.e., UML class and sequence). Initially, I found both processes overwhelming and questioned the purpose of using such diagrams instead of simply reviewing the source code step-by-step. To overcome this hurdle, I looked at several resources, but I will focus on Miro’s comprehensive guide, “The Ultimate Guide to UML Diagrams,” which provided much needed clarity on the concept of UML Diagrams.

This guide offers an excellent foundational overview, and emphasizes UML Diagrams as the commonly used and encouraged visual language in software development. It identifies the 14 types of diagrams and categorizes them as either Structural or Behavioral. Structural diagrams are used to define the components of the code, while Behavioral diagrams are used to examine how the code operates over time.

A key part of this research involved understanding the drawbacks of using UML diagrams. With my own initial experience being overwhelming, complex, and tedious; it validated the discourse surrounding the love-hate relationship with UML in the software development field. Disadvantages often centered on the process being time-consuming, complex, overwhelming, and potentially ambiguous, especially as projects grow or when team members and stakeholders are not aware of coding and diagram literacy. While arguments exist for making these diagrams optional, I understand that this is a necessary and helpful step in professional practice. 

This and other resources consistently emphasize one core objective: UML Diagrams are primarily communication tools. While recognizing their flexibility, standardization, and (often) simplicity, their greatest benefit is serving as a visual aid. They create a working summary of a program/code that allows other team members and stakeholders, who may have limited time and/or specific knowledge, to look through hundreds of lines of code, to quickly grasp the architecture and operational flow.

I also learned that the perceived disadvantages of UML are the trade-off required for effective team collaboration and risk mitigation. When working through class activities and homework, working with smaller codes, I experienced some of the limitations. I fully understand how a program with 50+ classes would be completely overwhelming and time-consuming to look through and explain without an established visual reference. My personal practice of using UML class and sequence diagrams showed me the tediousness of detailing every code component, but also the value of creating and having a visual summary of the code’s building blocks.

In my future practice, I intend to apply this knowledge by creating diagrams to help me summarize the code. Whether working on class activities, homework, personal projects, and/or within a development team; I will use UML diagrams to practice summarizing and communicating code as if I were speaking with a team and/or non-technical stakeholders. Ultimately, a diagram is easier to critique and comprehend than 500+ lines of unread code spread across multiple files. 

Link To Main Resource:
https://miro.com/diagramming/what-is-a-uml-diagram/ – The Ultimate Guide to UML Diagrams

Link To Additional Resources:
https://www.theknowledgeacademy.com/blog/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-uml/ – Advantages and Disadvantages of UML: An In-Depth Analysis 

https://creately.com/guides/sequence-diagram-tutorial/#what-is-a-sequence-diagram – Sequence Diagram Tutorial – Complete Guide with Examples

https://creately.com/blog/diagrams/uml-diagram-types-examples/#UseCaseDiagram – UML Diagram Types Guide: Learn About All Types of UML Diagrams with Examples

https://creately.com/guides/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-uml/ – Why the Software Industry Has a Love-Hate Relationship with UML Diagrams

https://www.synergycodes.com/blog/why-use-uml-class-diagrams – Why Use UML Class Diagrams?

From the blog CS@Worcester – Vision Create Innovate by Elizabeth Baker and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

Blog & Podcast Discovery – Software Architecture

Resource Selected:
“Patterns of Legacy Displacement” by Ian Cartwright, Rob Horn, and James Lewis
Published on Martin Fowler’s Software Architecture site
https://martinfowler.com/architecture/

Summary of the Resource

This article explores the practical challenges of replacing legacy systems in large-scale organizations. The authors introduce the concept of the “legacy replacement treadmill,” a cycle in which enterprises launch extensive modernization efforts that often stall or fail before meaningful progress is made. The authors argue that the core issues extend beyond outdated technology to include organizational and leadership shortcomings. To address these challenges, they recommend setting clear goals, delivering improvements in small, manageable increments, and avoiding “big-bang” system rewrites which typically lead to failure. Instead, they propose a more sustainable approach: gradually isolating and updating parts of the legacy system, delivering functional components, and slowly retiring the outdated codebase.

Why I Chose This Resource

I selected this article because it directly relates to key principles we’ve discussed in our software design and architecture course, such as maintainability, technical debt, and scalable architecture. Rather than just presenting theory, the article demonstrates real-world consequences when these principles are overlooked. Additionally, I’ve observed similar patterns on a smaller scale during team projects, where the instinct to start from scratch often feels easier than improving existing code. This resource provides a practical, realistic alternative to that approach.

Reflection and Key Takeaways

The most impactful lesson for me is that modernization should not be seen as a rapid technical overhaul but as a long-term, structured effort. The authors emphasize defining clear outcomes before writing any code a concept that shifted my perspective. In future projects, I aim to prioritize measurable objectives over vague goals like “make it better.”

Another important insight is the risk of pursuing feature parity with legacy systems. Attempting to replicate every existing feature can hinder innovation and slow down progress.

The article also deepened my understanding of how human factors such as team habits, organizational power structures, and internal priorities can influence the success or failure of architectural changes. Even the best-designed technical solutions will struggle to succeed without cultural alignment and support for gradual transformation.

Moving forward, I intend to apply this mindset to legacy code by introducing incremental, testable changes that improve the system’s architecture over time. This approach may be slower, but it is ultimately more effective and sustainable.

Link to the Resource:
https://martinfowler.com/architecture/

From the blog Zacharys Computer Science Blog by Zachary Kimball and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.