Topics that software developers currently know most about.

The top 25 topics according to question 2 of the survey. These are the topics that software engineers and managers know best.

Sample of data from the 1998 Survey of Software Practitioners

Rank

Topic

Mean of Q2

Std. dev.

% rating 4 or 5

% rating > 1

1

Specific Programming Languages

4.1

1.03

78%

97%

2

Data Structures

3.7

1.12

65%

96%

3

Operating Systems

3.4

1.11

46%

96%

4

Software Design and Patterns

3.4

1.30

52%

90%

5

Software Architecture

3.3

1.36

49%

87%

6

Giving Presentations to an Audience

3.3

1.34

50%

89%

7

Databases

3.2

1.22

45%

89%

8

Object Oriented Concepts & Technology

3.2

1.41

45%

85%

9

Testing, Verification & Quality Assurance

3.2

1.18

41%

91%

10

Analysis and Design Methods

3.2

1.33

50%

85%

11

Requirements Gathering & Analysis

3.1

1.37

48%

87%

12

Project Management

3.1

1.25

39%

91%

13

File Management

3.1

1.46

45%

84%

14

Ethics and Professionalism

3.0

1.47

38%

84%

15

Design of Algorithms

3.0

1.46

44%

83%

16

Technical Writing

3.0

1.43

41%

85%

17

Data Transmission and Networks

3.0

1.29

39%

87%

18

Configuration and Release Management

2.8

1.50

34%

79%

19

Human Computer Interaction / User Interfaces

2.8

1.39

30%

81%

20

Programming Language Theory

2.7

1.48

33%

77%

21

Computer System Architecture

2.7

1.45

31%

79%

22

Performance Measurement & Analysis

2.6

1.43

28%

79%

23

Maintenance, Reengineering and Rev. Engg.

2.6

1.42

33%

79%

24

Network Architecture & Data Transmission

2.6

1.41

27%

77%

25

Systems Programming

2.5

1.67

36%

68%