Better Software Magazine Archive:

July/Aug 2006

IN THIS ISSUE

Browsers with a Bean to Grind
By Tod Golding

Listen in on a coffehouse conversation between Internet Explorer and Mozilla, that have been pushed to the brink by technologies that test their limits and a standards body that nixes their ability to innovate. Find out what they think of their previous successes and what the future holds.

The Democratization of Test Tools
By Lisa Crispin

Imagine a world where testers, programmers, and product directors collaborate to automate tests. It's not a fantasy; it's the future. Lisa Crispin, who works on a team in which this sort of collaboration occurs for all the regression tests for each new feature, invites you to join the automation revolution today.

A Look at FinalBuilder
By Adam White

Adam White says he's generally set in his ways regarding daily use test tools, but he found an exception in FinalBuilder. Find out why Adam thinks this automated build and release tool's functionality extends beyond simple build automation.

The Factors of Function Testing
By Michael Bolton

The premise behind function testing is to ensure that each program function does what it is supposed to do and nothing else. While it sounds pretty simple, there are some catches you should know about. Michael Bolton examines the twists and turns of function testing and offers some tips for working around them.

The Certainty of Uncertainty
By Mike Cohn

All projects begin with a great deal of uncertainty. Mike Cohn takes a look at Alexander Laufer’s concepts of means and end uncertainties and explains why an iterative approach to product development is the best way to be certain your users get what they want.

Proving Our Worth
By Lee Copeland

Testers exist to provide others with valuable information. But can you prove that your work contributes enough to justify the cost of testing? Lee Copeland seeks to end the anti-tester antagonism found in many organizations, which he says comes from a basic misunderstanding of the real purpose of testing.

Bridging the Gap: Agile Projects in the Waterfall Enterprise
By Michele Sliger

Though agile software development has been around for a while, it has received a recent boost in popularity as organizations seek to better compete with their global counterparts. Michele Sliger offers some methodology-spanning principles to help ease agile processes into a traditionally waterfall-oriented organization.

The Many Layers of Ajax
By Justin Gehtland

Ajax began as a shortened form of "Asynchronus JavaScript and XML," but these days Ajax doesn't require XML and needn’t be asynchronous. Overcome your cravings for a richer user experience, and find out how Ajax can sweeten your Web application development in this article by Ajax expert Justin Gehtland.

Piecing Together an Agile Organization
By Alicia Yanik

Implementing agile processes can be like putting together a puzzle. But what happens when the pieces don't fall into the right place? Alicia Yanik tells the story of Daniel, who is wound up about his company's new agile elements, and Meg, who sees things from a more enlightened angle.

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