Better Software Magazine
Better Software Magazine Articles
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Project Archaeology This article aims to show you the rich variety of information that can be used to help you build a good model of the system you are involved with. Some of the areas covered are: the business context; the language; the organizational structure; the culture; and cross-departmental relationships. |
Andy Schneider
October 17, 2002 |
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Bypassing the GUI Graphical User Interfaces make test automation hard. The problems are well known. You need specialized tools to drive the GUI. Those tools can be confused by the common programming practice of inventing custom user interface controls. When they are used in the simplest way, the tools lead to fragile tests that tend to break en masse when the GUI changes. Making the test resistant to change requires elaborate and sometimes awkward testing frameworks. Learn how to use a scripting interface to get around the GUI problem. |
Brian Marick
October 17, 2002 |
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Delivering Unwelcome News to Developers How well you present a defect to a developer can impact when a defect is resolved–or whether it is resolved at all. Deliver the information abruptly or inappropriately, and you run the risk of alienating a person or creating project hot spots that aren't needed. Deliver news too passively, and your report may be discarded. Karen Johnson describes some ways to soften the blow so that your defects are not only acknowledged, but fixed. |
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A Picture's Worth a Thousand Words Maps are a universal way of describing an area. You use them to plan your route and find your destination. Just as it's a good idea to have a map when traveling, it's a good idea to have a picture of the software you're testing. Elisabeth Hendrickson describes UML, parts maps, flow charts, state diagrams, and more. |
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A Measured Response An infinite number of metrics can be applied to various aspects of software development. In fifteen years of managing software development, Mike Cohn has found a handful of metrics that really help him do his job--and keep him cool and confident when the heat is on. Here, he describes product stabilization metrics, programmer quality metrics, customer satisfaction metrics, and complexity metrics. |
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Value without Numbers Justifying the role of testing and measuring the value of testers' performance are problems that many of us struggle with. James Bach offers some things he finds helpful when he has to give a quantitative answer to the question, "What is your group saving the company?" |
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The Art of Influence Abby is a tester who can't seem to make herself heard. She feels invisible in design meetings, and feels like she lacks credibility with the developers on the team. But she learns a few simple changes in her communication approach that improve her chances of being listened to. Elisabeth Hendrickson talks about how testers can learn the art of influence. |
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A Look at the Build Tool Ant Tool selection is an important choice in the development process. For any project that relies heavily on Java technology, Ant is a valuable tool for the build process. It is portable, packed with features, and is open source. Moreover, since it is easily extensible, a growing number of additional tasks are available on the Internet. |
Greg Kubaczkowski
August 1, 2002 |
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All Hands on Deck The challenge: With one week to go before release, the product still needs to be put through its paces. The test team: A few developers, a network engineer, a receptionist, an office manager, and a CTO. In this real-life story, Geordie Keitt explains how one dot-com employed some nontraditional testers to uncover the bugs in their new system. |
Geordie Keitt
August 1, 2002 |
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Tracking Wild Pointers Tracking down wild pointer bugs is not easy; the wacky symptoms that result are inconsistent and confusing. Pointers are arguably the most difficult class of bugs to handle. Ibrahim El-Far and Herbert Thompson give some examples of tracking down wild pointers and tips on how to tame them. |
Ibrahim K. El-Far
August 1, 2002 |
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