Design by Contract extends software systems with elements of specification describing the precise goal of each component. Applications range from analysis and design to testing, documentation, inheritance, exception handling. The goal is to produce better software faster and cheaper. The course describes the principles and their application; it includes an in-depth description of important principles of modern software engineering, object-oriented methodology, and the design of successful reusable components, as realized by the Eiffel method. For teams using Eiffel, the course provides sufficient information to get started immediately; for those using other approaches, it provides a complementary perspective enabling participants to use their existing object-oriented tools better.