Better Software Magazine Archive:

February 2006

IN THIS ISSUE

A Look at GreenBlue Inspector by Ecyware
By Marnie Hutcheson

Why should hackers have all the good tools? Marnie Hutcheson takes a look at Ecyware's GreenBlue Inspector, an inexpensive tool that automates gray box vulnerability testing for simple data types, buffer overflow, SQL injection, and cross-site scripting in forms, cookies, and client requests.

Stress Testing - What a Load!
By Scott G. Ames

People often ask software quality specialist Scott Ames how they can increase stress in their projects. With tongue planted firmly in cheek, he responds with some steps that are guaranteed to increase the overall stress on people and projects.

Held Hostage by a Prima Donna
By Esther Derby

This installment of Management Chronicles relates the story of an office that has been overtaken by the whims of a real prima donna. Is the value of one indispensable person worth risking the productivity of the entire team? Author Esther Derby offers her insights.

Patterns Without Purpose
By Tod Golding

Architectural patterns are a convenient way to design and build your code, but be careful not to bite off more than you can chew. Tod Golding offers advice on avoiding useless layers and letting each pattern earn its way into your architecture.

Maintaining Your Course
By Michael Bolton

What does maintainability mean to you? Michael Bolton discusses the different elements of this often-overlooked attribute of software projects and what it means as a guideword heuristic to rapid testers.

Living by Principles, Not by Plans
By Lee Copeland

Reality is not a static thing, and when the reality of a situation changes, so too must our plans. In his article, Lee Copeland explains why "planning" does not equal "controlling" and suggests that we should look to our principles for guidance.

Breaking With Tradition
By Steve Berczuk

Though the term "agile" isn't often ascribed to the ways of software configuration management, Steve Berczuk offers some ways in which applying the principles of agile SCM can help teams work more effectively.

I Didn't Know I Needed That
By Mike Cohn

There is a natural relationship between the features in a product and the customer's satisfaction with that product, but not every feature influences customers in the same way. The best plan for satisfying customers, as author Mike Cohn explains, is to give them what they want.

A Critical Line of Defense
By Herbert H. Thompson

Tackle software vulnerabilities at the root—in the applications themselves.
 

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