Better Software Articles

With careful planning, diligent communication, and managerial support, you too can make your web of knowledge grow.

Web services can't be tested through manual means, can they? With the right tools they can. Find out how a solid background in exploratory testing and Ruby's scripting language can make it possible.

A Perfect FIT

Programmers, how do you make test-driven development better? By involving those outside of development in writing test scenarios. FIT is a tool that’s being used by many to do just that. Dave Astels will show you how.

Teamwork Can Be Child's Play

Turn to The Last Word, where software professionals who care about quality give you their opinion on hot topics. This month, find out why Carol Dekkers thinks watching children at play can teach you quite a bit about teamwork.

Two Candidates. One Position

Need a place to go to get the solutions you’ve been raving? Management Fix is what you’ve been looking for. In this issue, find out how to choose between two great candidates when you have only one open position.

A Fond Farewell

Get our technical editors’ take on everything that relates to the industry, technically speaking. In this issue, Esther Derby says farewell, but as she goes, she leaves some parting tips on writing.

Soap Opera Testing

Test design, FUN? Hans Buwalda thinks so. His approach will infuse your testing with creativity and drama. Careful, you might get hooked!

In Other Words

Take one phrase, throw in three different interpretations, and add zero communication: It all adds up to one big defect. Find out how paraphrasing can help you to uncover hidden problems.

Saving a Sinking Project

The project that was going to jump-start your career is sinking fast: The product is behind schedule, over budget, and riddled with bugs. Your “ship” is taking on water, and your team is threatening mutiny. How did you get into this mess? And how will you get out? Peter Clark shows you how to navigate the waters of project management.

What is Quality, Anyway

All year long we've been asking people in every phase of the software development lifecycle to tell us what quality means to them. We found that while most agree on what quality is, there's still controversy over how to achieve it.