This book is not intended to be a traditional software engineering text — there are many good ones. Instead, it is designed specifically for those involved in image processing systems. It provides a modern engineering framework for the specification, design, coding, testing, and maintenance of image processing software and systems. In particular, the focus is on imaging systems as a special case of software, thereby providing a common framework and language of discourse for imaging engineers of all backgrounds. This common framework, in turn, should lead to more reliable and economical software throughout the imaging industry.

This text is about image processing, but it contains none because it is not about the images; it is about the software systems that process them. Image processing systems are found everywhere in such places as digital cameras, photocopying systems, computer scanners, video games, industrial inspection, medical imaging, and defense applications. It seems that a software engineering book devoted to this important application domain is overdue.

This text is intended to help those in industry who, though practicing as software engineers, have had little or no formal training in software engineering. The typical reader will have an undergraduate degree in mathematics or in an engineering or physical science or the equivalent experience. Some experience in working on a software project team, as a requirements writer, designer, developer, tester, or manager, would be helpful but is not essential. No experience in programming in any particular language is assumed on the part of the reader. It would be helpful if the reader had a mathematical background at least embracing calculus, but this is not essential since most of software engineering does not involve deep formulaic principles.

It is hoped that those who read this text will come to reject the many misconceptions about software, software engineering, and software engineers. Then the main contribution of this text will be to enhance the quality of software produced by the imaging industry and the standing of those who build these systems.