Process

Better Software Magazine Articles

Lessons Learned in Close Quarters Combat

Few would think that the tactics employed by military and law-enforcement Special Forces to breach buildings under siege bears any relation to software project teams. After a number of weekends training with ex-military and ex-law-enforcement Special Forces—just for fun—Antony Marcano draws a surprising parallel between the dynamics of modern Special Forces "room-clearing" methods and the dynamics of modern software development teams.
Antony Marcano's picture Antony Marcano
November 25, 2008
Train Wreck Spotting

An oft-overlooked goal of encapsulation is to simplify usage. Without this sensibility, classes can end up with simplistic interfaces and callers can end up with method-call pile-ups.
Kevlin Henney's picture Kevlin Henney
November 25, 2008
Metrics that Motivate

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.
Linda Hayes's picture Linda Hayes
October 28, 2008
Getting Agile With User-Centered Design

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.
Darius Kumana Jon Dickinson
October 28, 2008
Cover or Discover?

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.
Michael Bolton's picture Michael Bolton
October 28, 2008
Encapsulation and Vampires

Encapsulation is more than just using the "private" keyword when defining a class. You need a boundary that keeps the vampires out.
Kevlin Henney's picture Kevlin Henney
October 28, 2008
The One-Hour Regression Test

If a customer asked you to demonstrate to him, within an hour, that your newest software is ready for use, what tests would you run? Are these the same tests that you are now performing in your first hour of regression testing? They should be.
Steven Woody's picture Steven Woody
September 30, 2008
Is ''Agile'' Distracting You?

If a process tool or service claims to be agile it must be good, right? Not necessarily. The term "agile" has become abused and, since we don't have a standard dictionary definition, it is open to interpretation. So, let's look beyond the label to what really matters—value.
Jonathan Kohl's picture Jonathan Kohl
August 28, 2008
From Here to Acceptance Test-Driven Development

Acceptance test-driven development (ATDD) means different things to different people based on their experiences—from "It's all about testing" to "It has nothing to do with testing,” and from "TDD, ATDD—it's all the same" to "TDD and ATDD are nothing alike." These nine landmarks will help you navigate ATDD no matter where you are coming from.
Antony Marcano's picture Antony Marcano
August 28, 2008
So, You've Got a Problem: Crafting Remarks and Abstracts for Defect Reports

Software defect reports are among the most important deliverables to come out of software testing. They are as important as the test plan and will have more impact on the quality of the product than most other deliverables from the software test team. It's worth the effort to learn how to write an effective defect report that conveys the proper message and simplifies the process for everyone.
Kelly Whitmill
August 28, 2008

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