Better Software - November 2008 - (Page 3)

November 2008 Volume 10, Issue 9 Cover Story GETTING AGILE WITH USER-CENTERED DESIGN 22 Agile practices go a long way toward providing value to our customers. But in today’s market, we must endeavor to adopt a more user-centered approach to create products our customers can’t live without. by Jon Dickinson and Darius Kumana Features GOOGLE WEB TOOLKIT 26 In part two of the series, Daniel introduces Google Web Toolkit’s testing infrastructure and demonstrates how to build an Ajax application test first. by Daniel Wellman SIMPLE SUMMARIES OF COMPLEX PROJECTS 34 How can we meaningfully summarize—in a brief status report without losing important details—the successes and setbacks our projects experience? by Payson Hall Columns & Departments In Every Issue Mark Your Calendar 4 Contributors 6 eLightenment 8 Product Announcements 42 10 Things You Might Not Know About … 46 Ad Index 48 Better Software magazine—The print companion to StickyMinds.com brings you the hands-on, knowledgebuilding information you need to run smarter projects and deliver better products that win in the marketplace and positively affect the bottom line. Subscribe today to get ten issues. Visit www.BetterSoftware.com or call 800.450.7854. TECHNICALLY SPEAKING 13 Follow the Process • by Lee Copeland Building better software does not rely on methodologies. “Following the process” omits important human factors that ultimately lead us to success. CODE CRAFT 14 Encapsulation and Vampires • by Kevlin Henney Encapsulation is more than just using the “private” keyword when defining a class. You need a boundary that keeps the vampires out. TEST CONNECTION 18 Cover or Discover? • by Michael Bolton Excellent testing isn’t just about covering the “map”—it’s also about exploring the territory, which is the process by which we discover things that the map doesn’t cover. MANAGEMENT CHRONICLES 20 Keep Non-developers in the Loop • by Melanie Tayler Keeping QA members up to date on changes as they happen—through meetings, wikis, and email—can reduce the number of unnecessary bug reports and save you time and frustration. THE LAST WORD 47 Metrics that Motivate • by Linda Hayes To implement a meaningful incentive system for your team, you need to select metrics that encourage the behaviors you need and the results you want. But first you have to decide what you need and want. StickyMinds.com We invite you to visit StickyMinds.com, the online companion to Better Software magazine. StickyMinds.com covers the same pertinent topics as the magazine, putting the power of information at the click of your mouse. Weekly columns, headline-making bugs, hundreds of technical papers, an online tools guide, discussion boards, and so much more make StickyMinds.com your site for 24/7 brainfood to help you build better software. www.StickyMinds.com NOVEMBER 2008 BETTER SOFTWARE 3 http://www.StickyMinds.com http://www.StickyMinds.com http://www.StickyMinds.com http://www.StickyMinds.com http://www.BetterSoftware.com http://www.StickyMinds.com http://www.StickyMinds.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Better Software - November 2008

Better Software - November 2008 Contents Mark Your Calendar Contributors eLightenment Technically Speaking Code Craft Test Connection Management Chronicles Getting Agile with User-Centered Design Google Web Toolkit Simple Summaries of Complex Projects Product Announcements 10 Things You Might Not Know About … The Last Word Ad Index

Better Software - November 2008

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