Software Engineering

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6.2 
Evolution of software technologies
Following the introduction of C
++
, most of the contributions to the program-
ming field involved extensions of existing languages to accommodate object- 
oriented programming or web-based application development. The early part of the 
1990s began the introduction of integrated development environments (IDEs), such 
as Microsoft’s Visual Studio. An IDE provides an integrated set of tools for soft-
ware development, such as source code editor, graphical user interface (GUI) con-
structors, software component libraries, debuggers, and build automation tools. The 
evolution of software programming languages seems to have run its course as the 
emphasis had shifted to improving programmer productivity.
During the 30-year period from 1960 to 1990, the rapidly changing landscape of 
programming languages consumed the attention of students, instructors, and practi-
tioners as they struggled to maintain their proficiency and marketable skill set. New 
programming languages cropped up and old languages were evolved to incorporate 
features that could take advantage of the dramatic increases in computing power. 
Changes in computing platforms, languages, storage technology, computer graph-
ics, and multimedia technologies have challenged the software industry’s ability to 
produce products of which the dependability and longevity satisfies the needs of 
customers, consumers, enterprise management, or investors.