c_plum's Xanga

I think Software Project Fail so often because.....

Thu, 06 Apr 2006 12:43:30 GMT

Summary from: http://www.codeproject.com/books/SoftwareProjectSecrets2.asp

Software is unique in that its most significant issue is its complexity.

Software is the most abstract product that can be created in a project.
It is uniquely difficult to define a complete set of requirements for software before beginning development.
Software development technologies change faster than other construction technologies.
Most software development technologies are not mature enough to have a set of proven best practices.
Software development has far more technologies, and its technologies have far more complexity than a single individual can hope to gain expertise with.
Expertise with particular software development technologies is very quickly outdated, and therefore most specific skills are learned on the job.
Software development isn't just a process of creating software; it's also a process of learning how to create the software that is best suited for its purpose.
Software development has been automated to a greater degree than other project-based activities.
Unlike other products, software is not constructed, but rather designed into existence.
Software can be modified rapidly, and this pace is expected, but it's better to implement the changes properly.
No software is perfect as first envisioned; it will always require changes to make it best suit its role.

What do you think about the importance of software project management in this aspect?

The importances of Software project management are communication and changes on techology.

Through communication, no matter client or programmer would know there procces of the project and what they need to concert. From programmer, programmer would know the client do not think the project requirement on practical way sometimes, programmer need to use their knowledge to duel with it. From client, client woud know what are the technology limit to their project requirement. If a new technology appear, client would like to use it on the project. However, programmer would tell client that technology cannot implement to the project.

"What is test-driven development?" that I find...

Thu, 06 Apr 2006 12:36:21 GMT

What is the main idea of test-driven development?
What is the goal of test-driven development?
How does a test-driven development cycle look like?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Test-driven_development

http://www.agiledata.org/essays/tdd.html

1. What is TDD?

The steps of test first development (TFD) are overviewed in the UML activity diagram of Figure 1. The first step is to quickly add a test, basically just enough code to fail. Next you run your tests, often the complete test suite although for sake of speed you may decide to run only a subset, to ensure that the new test does in fact fail. You then update your functional code to make it pass the new tests. The fourth step is to run your tests again. If they fail you need to update your functional code and retest. Once the tests pass the next step is to start over (you may first need to refactor any duplication out of your design as needed, turning TFD into TDD).

Figure 1. The Steps of test-first development (TFD).

What is the primary goal of TDD?One view is the goal of TDD is specification and not validation (Martin, Newkirk, and Kess 2003).In other words, it¡¦s one way to think through your design before your write your functional code.Another view is that TDD is a programming technique.As Ron Jeffries likes to say, the goal of TDD is to write clean code that works.

Software Design Patterns: How much do "I" understand?

Thu, 06 Apr 2006 12:33:53 GMT

To me design patterns are successful cases for designing coding with proven on efficiency. I just remember the observer pattern in behavioral patterns because I just know the concept of how it operates such as if a interface has change, interface will notice observer to update the changes, but I don¡¦t know how to convert this pattern in to coding.

On other patterns, I just remember the name of them.

I think "Software quality: What makes a program code good?"

Thu, 06 Apr 2006 12:32:57 GMT

Clear naming of variable and writing comment for the program code would make good program code.

These two factors would let the reader easy to catch up the control flow of the program code and modify the coding more easily.

I think "Stuff that lets agile software developers show off what they believe in..."

Thu, 06 Apr 2006 12:32:02 GMT

DTSTTCPW

Do The Simplest Thing That Could Possibly Work

Ref: http://xp.c2.com/DoTheSimplestThingThatCouldPossiblyWork.html

Implement a new capability in the simplest way you can think of that "could possibly work". Make the code pass the UnitTests for the new feature (and all features, as always). Follow the rule of OnceAndOnlyOnce and the other code quality rules to make the system as clean as it can possibly be. With each increment of an IterativeDevelopment one should do the simplest thing that could possibly work. To do this, you have to know at least two ways to do the thing. That way, you can at least pick the simpler, if not the simplest. You need to be pretty sure it will work, but you don't have to prove it. Why? Because when you try to implement it, your implementation will tell you whether it does work. Your tests will run, or they won't. It will feel good, or it won't.

JsUnit

Ref: http://www.edwardh.com/jsunit/

http://sourceforge.net/projects/jsunit

JsUnit is a Unit Testing framework for client-side (in-browser) JavaScript. It is essentially a port of JUnit to JavaScript. Also included is a platform for automating the execution of tests on multiple browsers and multiple machines running different OSs.

Software Engineering Certification Programs: What Can I Learn from Them?

Sun, 02 Apr 2006 09:28:53 GMT

The following aspect that are not appear in out text book that are Business Practices and Engineering Economics:
- Engineering Economics
- Ethics
- Professional Practice
- Standards

What can I learn from Software Engineering Certification Programs?

I can learn the standards and briefy concepts of some parts of Software Engineering Certification Programs, such as:

Software Maintenance & DescriptionPurpose
Software Maintenance Process
Software Lifecycle Processes
Software Maintenance Documentation.

What does it means to be a professionally qualified software engineer?

To a professional qualified softeare engineer, this certification let the engineer and employer know what the engineer have learnt. This certificate also as a measurement of a standard.

How do you get there?

Maybe by studing the websit recommented text book to achieve the standard.

Thursday, October 27, 2005

Thu, 27 Oct 2005 13:49:43 GMT

My favorite UML Tool is Poseidon

( UML Community Edition )

Poseidon for UML Community Edition (Poseidon) is my favorite UML Tool, which is easy to install and user-friendly relatively.The interface of Poseidon likes Dreamweaver that is easy to follow the steps to draw the diagram and let the users have a very clear concept which object is drawing and after installation can be directly use to draw the UML diagram.

Omondo Eclipse UML Free Edition (Omondo) installation process is quit clumsy and time consuming than others.Omondo needs to install 2 execute files for drawing UML diagram.The interface of Omondo likes Photoshop that just show all the buttons for drawing seems assume users have basic concept to this software and know what the output is in this software.

Visual Paradigm for UML Community Edition (Visual Par.) is also a user-friendly UML Tools, but the interface seems not clear as Poseidon.Visual Par. is easy to change the color of object and control the size of object.

Sunday, October 02, 2005

Sun, 02 Oct 2005 15:53:59 GMT

My opinion to the basic "Software Engineering Skills"

I think the most important of the basic software engineering skills are the communication skill, modeling skill, managing skill and basic knowledge of some programming languages for reduce the processing time, cost, resources and workload.

First, good communication skill can create a good teamwork spirit with the co-workers. Having a good communication skill also help with knowing what the client needs in more details.

Second, modeling skill can show how to approach the client needs. Modeling skill including the analysis and illustration skill with diagram. Analysis skill can divide the tasks into small parts of tasks that can be easy to approach. After analysis, illustration skills with diagram can show the major parts of tasks about the division of labor and the relationship between each small parts of tasks with case diagram or UML diagram.

Third, managing skill is make good use of the recourses with appropriate specialties at before the time limit to finish the tasks.

Last, basic knowledge of some programming languages can help to understand other¡¦s specialties programming concept.

Therefore, the above skills are the basic software engineering skills that I think important.