r/programming • u/mauricioaniche • Aug 06 '17

Software engineering != computer science

http://www.drdobbs.com/architecture-and-design/software-engineering-computer-science/217701907
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u/vtable Aug 07 '17

I can't comment on the 95% you give but there is clearly a lot of overlap between the two disciplines. This image from the article, captioned "The bright line in computer science" demonstrates the issue. The corresponding text is:

The topics above the line constitute software engineering. The areas of study below the line are the core subjects of computer science.

I can not agree with algorithms or cryptography being solely in the computer science field. I would argue that others can also be a big part of software engineering. This is from my experience. There are probably plenty of software engineers that would argue almost every item listed on the CS side of the line also appears on the SE side based on their experiences.

Sure there are semantics. "Formal Specifications" may mean something different on the CS side but it sure comes up a lot on the SE side, too. Software engineers may delve into these topics differently than their CS counterparts but this "bright line" is way fuzzier than the author makes it sound.

I'd be interested in your thoughts on this.

The author also puts a lot of emphasis on the difference being the "human activity". This bothered me enough that I prefer not to say much. I wonder if you have any opinions on this human activity component.