[4] To address these challenges, the NATO Science Committee convened two conferences to explore ways to improve software development practices by applying engineering principles.
[1] It was attended by 50 leading computer scientists and practitioners from 11 countries, including Edsger Dijkstra, Friedrich L. Bauer, Alan Perlis, and Peter Naur.
[1] The editors faced the challenge of capturing the dynamic discussions and diverse viewpoints, ultimately producing a document that emphasized the need for formal methodologies and better project management in software development.
[4] Additionally, the conference brought to light the differing opinions on how software engineering should evolve, with debates over the balance between theoretical approaches and practical applications.
[2] The editors faced challenges due to the lack of clear consensus among participants, making the compilation of the report more difficult than the previous year.
[4] Despite these difficulties, the report provided insights into the state of software engineering at the time and highlighted areas needing further research and development.