Using semantic component interfaces in software engineering training

Laboratories for training students in software development involve a considerable coding effort, reducing the complexity of the exercises that are possible in the available lab time. In order to reduce this coding effort our laboratory employed the component framework WebSI. An application developed with WebSI is composed of application logic (AL) component and an interaction style (IS) component, containing code for producing and managing the graphical user interface (GUI). In the laboratory, the students wrote only the AL component, while the instructor provided a number of readymade different IS components. If the student didn't like the produced GUI, she could simply exchange the IS component with one that produces a GUI that is more to her liking. The exchange of an IS component is possible since all IS components employ the same abstract semantic interface, which does not specify the geometric and other properties of the GUI to be produced. Changing components is fast, as no compilation is required. The time the students saved by using ready-made IS components was invested in requirement elicitation and specifications, which had a beneficial effect on the usability of the student projects.