Better Software - December 2007 - (Page 9)

brain food for building better software >>>> EDITOR’S PICK Open to Discussion In an interesting juxtaposition, I am both maddeningly curious and a card-carrying introvert, so, when I’m on a quest for confirmation or have a need for knowledge, I almost exclusively turn to the Internet. It drives me crazy when I have a question that I can’t find an answer to, and while it seems impossible that in the age of Google and wikipedia.org any question could go unanswered, believe me, it happens. That’s where discussion boards come in. I love that there is a Web site devoted to almost any topic I can think of and that on many of them there is a community of like-minded people who are willing to swap ideas, opinions, and advice. For instance, say I want to know if there is anywhere to hike in Asheville, North Carolina in January. I post a message on the appropriate site, and voilà! I get firsthand information not speculation. StickyMinds.com is one of those Web sites where users can garner from one another information that comes from experience, not hearsay. For example, a quick cruise through the Discussion Boards shows some pretty in-depth conversations in progress dealing with automation, breaking into testing, and understanding the role of the test manager, just to name a few. Other straight-from-the-source outlets for information on StickyMinds.com are the weekly columns and the monthly Better Software departments Code Craft, Test Connection, and Management Chronicles. At the end of each column readers are encouraged to post questions and comments for the authors. There aren’t too many places you can get advice directly from such industry notables as Lee Copeland, Johanna Rothman, Karl Wiegers, Ed Weller, and many others. H E AT H E R S H A N H O LT Z E R Heather Shanholtzer, editor of Better Software magazine and recent inductee into the ranks of the CTFL, brings to her position a background in creative writing, biology, environmental regulation, and amphibian research. Contact her at hshanholtzer@sqe.com. That’s why this month’s Editor’s Pick is actually an invitation to get involved in the StickyMinds.com online community if you aren’t already. From one knowledge seeker to another: Never pass up a learning opportunity when one finds you. www.stickyminds.com/discussionboards9-12 www.stickyminds.com/columnarchives9-12 POINTER CHANGING THE HAND YOU’RE DEALT For many of us, design is the most enjoyable part of software development. Oh sure, debugging can be fun and it is wonderful when everything comes together at the end, but if you’re like Payson Hall, you prefer to spend a little more time “up front” during design to minimize the complexity of debugging and maximize the likelihood that it will all come together in the end. In this Better Software magazine cover story from December 2006, Payson uses a parable and a program fragment to show how small changes to the problem can simplify the solution. www.stickyminds.com/powerpass9-12. “Actually, I believe there are best practices—the problem is, not all best practices are applicable to the current context (e.g., you wouldn’t try turning a nut with a screwdriver), and instead of leveraging experience to discriminate on which practices apply, or which don’t, and which can be adopted with modification, teams end up in a holy war of process.” StickyMinds.com member Bob Edwards commenting on Danny Faught and Michael Bolton’s column “Communicating with Context. Accessible from the column archive on StickyMinds.com and at www.stickyminds.com/Comments9-12 ” www.StickyMinds.com DECEMBER 2007 BETTER SOFTWARE 9 http://www.stickyminds.com http://wikipedia.org http://StickyMinds.com http://StickyMinds.com http://StickyMinds.com http://www.stickyminds.com/discussionboards9-12 http://www.stickyminds.com/columnarchives9-12 http://www.stickyminds.com/powerpass9-12 http://StickyMinds.com http://StickyMinds.com http://www.stickyminds.com/Comments9-12 http://www.StickyMinds.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Better Software - December 2007

Better Software - December 2007 Contents Mark Your Calendar What's Happening @ StickyMinds.com Technically Speaking Code Craft Test Connection Management Chronicles Man and Machine Let Your Values be Your Guide A Story About User Stories and Test-driven Development Product Announcements The Last Word Ad Index

Better Software - December 2007

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