The Latest
Book Nook: A Book Review[magazine] Steve Whitchurch reviews the latest edition of Peopleware: Productive Projects and Teams, by Tom DeMarco and Tim Lister, describing it as a "must-read for all management wannabes, as well as those who are currently leading project teams and organizations." |
Steve Whitchurch
June 26, 2002 |
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All Valuable Products Are Risky to Build[magazine] Risks sound like disasters, but risks are neither bad nor good. They are only smart or stupid. Stupid risks are chances taken without significant gain if you succeed. Smart risks are ones that will pay off handsomely if you can overcome them. Smart risks are taken by folks who have knowingly made the decision to proceed in the face of risk. |
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Learning from Pathfinder's Bumpy Start[magazine] Steve March discusses problems experienced by the Mars Pathfinder. He imparts the following lessons: 1) design defensively in the face of complexity; 2) design defensively for post-shipment problems; and 3) beware of best cases. |
Steve March
June 26, 2002 |
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Does a Bug Make a Noise When It Falls in the Forest?[magazine] You've probably heard the question about noise in the forest: Does a tree falling in the forest make any noise if no one is there to hear it? Noel Nyman examines the question, "Is a bug a bug if no user can ever make it happen?" |
Noel Nyman
June 26, 2002 |
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An Effective Technique for Verifying Software Design[magazine] While working at a telecommunications company, Linda Hamm had the task of developing and automating tests in a very short time with high-quality expectations. One of the projects was a rule-based expert system for switch maintenance. To help nail down the requirements, the group wrote state diagrams. This article is about what they are and how the group used them. |
Linda Hamm
June 26, 2002 |
How to Avoid Getting Burned by Your CD Release[magazine] Despite the risks, many companies do not have a formal release process. This article will guide you through some simple steps to verify your software prior to release. |
George Hamblen
June 26, 2002 |
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Automating Testing[magazine] Brian Marick gives a simplified history of test automation tools and provides a list of test automation links. |
Brian Marick
June 26, 2002 |
A Look at e-Test Suite 301 by RSW[magazine] RSW Software’s e-Test Suite contains four main components. The reusable scripts recorded with RSW e-Tester (the functional testing tool) feed RSW e-Load (the performance and stress-testing tool). For reporting and analysis purposes, results gathered during performance testing feed to RSW e-Reporter. The final tool, RSW e-Monitor, is responsible for monitoring the status of Websites by sending periodic page requests and validating them against previously recorded results. |
Christopher Nolan
June 26, 2002 |
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Techniques for Recruiting and Retaining Testers[magazine] Are you challenged with having to hire people when your budget is limited, time constraints are tight, and the testing effort is overwhelming? Many of us have faced these situations. In this article, Jack Cook shares some techniques that have proven effective in recruiting and retaining testers. |
Jack Cook
June 26, 2002 |
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A Look at PREfix by Intrinsa[magazine] PREfix provides a source code simulation tool that is able to perform automatic review for a wide range of programming defects that lead to program crashes. Defects reported by PREfix include de-referencing NULL pointers, using uninitialized memory, leaking memory or resources, or using illegal values. Here is an analysis of the product. |
Rodney Wilson
June 26, 2002 |
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Project Planning: It's in the Cards[magazine] Spend two days with an engineer named Eddie, and see how one skeptic learned the value of a low-tech, team-intensive, Cards-on-the-Wall planning technique. |
Dwayne Phillips
June 26, 2002 |
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A Study in Failures[magazine] Examples of mistakes, manifestations, and problems help us understand all parts of the software. Brian Marick suggests Web resources that examine software failures. |
Brian Marick
June 26, 2002 |
Learning to Love Unit Testing[magazine] Unit testing can become a developer's best friend. Find out how and why from two programmers who now rely on this practice to improve development. |
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Getting the Most Out of Conferences[magazine] Will the benefits of attending, learning, and networking at a conference outweigh the costs of travel, time, and energy? Here are some tips on how to get the most out of conferences. |
Alyn Wambeke
June 26, 2002 |
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Managing the End Game: Avoiding End-of-Project Complications by putting the Test Team in Charge[magazine] Experiencing end-of-project woes? Read how one test team guided the work at the end of a project by establishing daily goals to meet weekly objectives; by grading the product with a two-tiered approach; and by posting frequent status reports. |
Cindy Necaise
June 26, 2002 |