The Latest

Bridging the Gap Between Disciplines [magazine]

Two industry experts from very different worlds walk you through a Eureka! moment. Get their thoughts on how to build a strong, successful collaborative effort between two distinct disciplines.

The Power of Predictability [magazine]

Turn to The Last Word, where software professionals who care about quality give you their opinions on hot topics. This month, Linda Hayes details why being able to predict the end state of your data at the beginning of a test is vital to achieving accurate results.

A Look at Subversion 1.2 [magazine]

Need to get the scoop on the latest software tests and trends? You've come to the right place. Get one reviewer's opinion of Subversion 1.2.

The Dark Side of Multitasking [magazine]

We're pleased to bring you technical editors who are well respected in their fields. Get their take on everything that relates to the industry, technically speaking. In this issue, Mike Cohn discusses the myth of multitasking and how trying to work on too many tasks at once can actually kill productivity.

The Whole Is a Sum of Its Parts [magazine]

Managing large teams adds up to a headache, especially when it comes to Agile projects. Learn how to successfully divide over-sized teams into Agile subteams—from a practitioner who literally wrote the book on the subject.

I Do Not Want a Bug Report [magazine]

Building relationships is important because trust allows us to share information more freely. In his article, Jason Yip explains why he'd rather have a face-to-face conversation about bugs instead of relying solely on a traditional bug report.

The Cream of the Crop [magazine]

Reuse is one of the rare things in our industry that everyone agrees is necessary. But as an industry, we are pretty bad at it. Welcome to the world of pragmatic software reuse. On your current project, follow the steps outlined in this article to create and deliver truly useful libraries of reusable components.

Is the Grass Greener on the Other Side of the Fence? [article]

We may be creatures of habit—adhering to and promoting processes we know well—but we also habitually look to other work environments that appear capable of nurturing our ideas once an old environment becomes depleted. Ed Weller believes that searching for greener pastures is unnecessary. You just need to learn how to cultivate your managers in order to create an environment that will harbor your ideas. Ed explains why you'll end up grazing fruitlessly if you can't plant your ideas with management.

Experts, Craftsmen, and Ignorance [article]

The people who are paying you to be a software developer are depending on you to know what you're doing. How can you instill in people confidence that you can deliver when you are unfamiliar with the required technology? In this week's column, Dave Hoover tells you how to build confidence by showing the people who rely on you that delivering software involves a learning process. Then allow them to watch you grow.

Why Subject Matter Experts Matter [article]

Have you noticed that the hardest people to get and keep on a project are the subject matter experts (SMEs)? It's as if managers think that general programming or testing skills should suffice, or that the right development and testing tools are all you need. Linda Hayes observes that lately it seems the single biggest challenge has been getting quality time to define requirements and test cases from experts who understand the business domain of the application. If this is happening to you, Linda explains what you can do about it.