Integration in `software´ engineering environments

Consider how integration is achieved or planned for components of development support environments. The emphasis is (historically) upon environments for the support of software development; but it is shown that there is little that is specific to software development. The begins by explaining terminology. Four classes of software engineering environment (SEE) have been distinguished: (1) language-centred environments, (2) structure-oriented environments, (2) toolkit environments, (4) method-based environments. In general terms, SEEs in the first two classes are programming support environments or PSEs, whilst those in the latter two classes are project support environments or IPSEs (integrated project support environments). The idea of an IPSE came into being through the recognition that the whole range of development activities carried out in a project-including configuration control and management-need support; not just the production of code itself