Software Engineer and Software Developer, both these professions has been and are being continuously used interchangeably.  Both these professions may not seem to have any difference. But in the online marketing world, specifically in the areas of IT, there are key differences between the two.

Software Engineering vs Software Development

The common confusion between these two professions lies on whether who among the two:

• writes codes
• who builds
• who tests, etc

Furthermore, there’s also the usual inquisition whether Software Engineers are “real engineers”.

Software Engineer

Software Engineers apply the scientific methods and interpretations in analyzing and giving of solutions to every engineering problem. These are people who are competent by virtue and they and they also make use of the fundamentals and trainings from their education.

Software Engineering – “the application of a scientific, disciplined, quantitative approach to the event, operation and maintenance of software, which is the application of engineering to software” (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, 1993). Software engineering involves:

• • Demand gathering and analyzing
  • Study existing programs and establish areas that need improvements
  • Evaluate the programming desires of the consumers
  • Monitor computer programmers
  • Check codes if they work properly
  • Make system design
  • Prototype
  • Software development and coding
  • Discussion with purchasers

• Troubleshoot
• Deployment
• Follow ups
• Giving Demos
• Leading the Team
• Handles the hardware and networking part

Software Developer

Software Developers are more on the creative side. They write codes most of the time like coders and programmers. Developers apply patterns and practices that they have learned by themselves. Mostly through certain works, self-discovery, by reading blogs and books. These are without the fundamentals of scientific methods and engineering practices.

Software Development – this is the process of software development through successive phases in a systematic way. Software Development includes the following:

• Generate back-end info
• Develop front-end applications
• Collaborate with purchasers and different programmers
• Evaluate existing and advocate upgrades
• Produce software which will build computer applications work properly
• Give programmers with a diagram so that they will write and take a look at the code
• Create middle layer software
• Give higher alternatives to user demand
• Integrate with third party programs
• Deploy the application

In Conclusion

While these two professions may be at times interlaced with one another, they both acquire such differences.  These software engineers can be developers, however, not all developers can be engineers.

Software Engineers use engineering concepts to develop software. Software Developers are the driving creative force behind programs, they are also responsible for the entire development process.