CST438 Software Engineering: Week 8 (Final week)

 One of the most important things I learned is that software engineering is about much more than just writing code. While coding is a big part, there's a strong emphasis on documentation, understanding client needs, and getting continuous feedback. It’s about designing systems so others can easily improve them and applying principles like "low coupling and high cohesion" to keep things modular and maintainable.

    Another key lesson was understanding the entire development process from end to end. This was the first time I worked with both the front end and back end together, fully grasping the HTTP protocol (including how methods like POST work), how JSON is used, and how the front end communicates with the back end. Seeing how everything fits from database interactions to deploying the app online—gave me a fascinating glimpse into the full workflow and a lot of practical experience.

    Another important lesson was learning how to work as part of a team. I realized that you can’t do everything yourself and that adapting your approach is crucial. I gained a lot of experience as a team leader, organizing meetings and guiding the group. For the first time, I saw how everyone’s strengths and weaknesses come together. Some teammates stepped up while others needed more support, but overall it taught me a lot about team management and collaboration.

    Another lesson was diving into the Plan-and-Document (PD) process. It was fascinating to think through how I’d interact with a client, understand their needs, and document requirements thoroughly before writing code. It showed me that software engineering isn’t just coding—it’s talking to people, understanding their wants, and figuring out what will or won’t work. Creating diagrams and documentation gave me a whole new layer of experience.

    Finally, launching the application online was a big lesson. In a previous class, we did it differently, but this time we went through all the steps from scratch with AWS. It was a lot of work and sometimes overwhelming, but it made me appreciate how much technology has advanced. We had previously set up ports manually, like 8080, and 8081, but AWS handled port assignment automatically. It was challenging but rewarding and gave me a deeper understanding of real-world deployment.