This text/reference is an in-depth introduction to the systematic, universal software engineering kernel known as “Essence.” This kernel was envisioned and originally created by Ivar Jacobson and his colleagues, developed by Software Engineering Method and Theory (SEMAT) and approved by The Object Management Group (OMG) as a standard in 2014. Essence is a practice-independent framework for thinking and reasoning about the practices we have and the practices we need. It establishes a shared and standard understanding of what is at the heart of software development. Essence is agnostic to any particular methods, lifecycle independent, programming language independent, concise, scalable, extensible, and formally specified. Essence frees the practices from their method prisons.

HIGH PRAISE FOR THE ESSENTIALS OF MODERN SOFTWARE ENGINEERING

“Essence is an important breakthrough in understanding the meaning of software engineering. It is a key contribution to the development of our discipline and I’m confident that this book will demonstrate the value of Essence to a wider audience. It too is an idea whose time has come.” – Ian Somerville, St. Andrews University, Scotland (author of Software Engineering, 10th Edition, Pearson)

“What you hold in your hands (or on your computer or tablet if you are so inclined) represents the deep thinking and broad experience of the authors, information you’ll find approachable, understandable, and, most importantly, actionable.” – Grady Booch, IBM Fellow, ACM Fellow, IEEE Fellow, BCS Ada Lovelace Award, and IEEE Computer Pioneer