Better Software Magazine Archive:

July/Aug 2003

IN THIS ISSUE

A Look at Mercury Interactive's WinRunner
By Christopher J. Meisenzahl

In this edition of "Tool Look," Chris Meisezahl takes a look at Mercury Interactive's WinRunner.

Teambuilding at Work
By Johanna Rothman

In this edition of "The Last Word," Johanna Rothman outlines a team building exercise that omits ropes courses and campfire songs.

Collaborative Pest Control
By Brett Goldman

Read this edition of "From the Front Line," to find out why Brett Goldman says having more QA meetings can be a good thing.

Job Hunting in a Tight Market
By Rebecca Traeger

Tech stocks are down, money is tight, and companies are laying off. Are there any jobs out there for software professionals? In this edition of "Career Development," Rebecca Traeger speaks to two industry recruiters to find out.

Exhausting Your Test Options
By Doug Hoffman

In this edition of "Bug Report," Doug Hoffman tells the story of exhaustively testing a 32-bit square root function.

A Rush to Judgement
By Brian Marick

If you find an article grating on you, if you think the author is clearly wrong-headed, I suggest you read it differently than you probably read most articles. Explicitly separate what the author implies you should believe from the actions she describes. Focus on her specific results and the actions that led to them. How, in your style of work could you adapt the author's actions to get your results? In this edition of Technically Speaking, Brian Marick explores this possibilty.

Once upon a Design
By Rebecca Wirfs-Brock

Communicating a project design is similar to telling or writing a story, and the same rules apply. Discover how to consider your purpose and your audience as you craft your tale.

Eliminating Automation Overhead
By Andrew Lance

Overhead code is code that is necessary for carrying out the operations of an automated test, but obscures the test's point. Find out how using interface layers can lead to greater efficiency and easier maintenance.

Orchestrating Integration Testing
By Len DiMaggio

Verifying the operation of a complex software system can be a daunting task. Here is a systematic approach to the job. This article details six steps for testing duct-taped programs.

The Marriage of Estimation and Negotiation
By Michael Mah

Successful projects deliver what they say they will, when they say they can, at a certain cost. Generating reliable project commitments requires a union between accurate project estimation and principled negotiation.

Leveraging Inspections
By Ed Weller

You can improve your inspection process, moving from 50 percent to as much as 90 percent defect removal before entering test. Learn how to record and analyze the right data.

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