Comments for Musings of a Software Development Manager http://edgibbs.com Lessons from managing developers Sat, 19 Jun 2010 17:44:45 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 Comment on Second Wave of SOA by Bryan Green http://edgibbs.com/2010/06/16/second-wave-of-soa/comment-page-1/#comment-129755 Bryan Green Sat, 19 Jun 2010 17:44:45 +0000 http://edgibbs.com/?p=848#comment-129755 Interesting notion -- and here I thought SOA was played out. I'll watch and see with you whether SOA is the next big thing for the middle adopters. Interesting notion — and here I thought SOA was played out. I’ll watch and see with you whether SOA is the next big thing for the middle adopters.

]]> Comment on JUnit 4 with Hamcrest Examples by Sindy Seyb http://edgibbs.com/2010/05/23/junit-4-with-hamcrest-examples/comment-page-1/#comment-129752 Sindy Seyb Sun, 06 Jun 2010 09:18:24 +0000 http://edgibbs.com/?p=842#comment-129752 We all know he's not a real person, he's one of those employees companies make up so the public think they're warm and friendly. We all know he’s not a real person, he’s one of those employees companies make up so the public think they’re warm and friendly.

]]> Comment on An Open Letter to Helpdesk Managers on Developer Admin Access by John Fuex http://edgibbs.com/2010/01/01/an-open-letter-to-helpdesk-managers-on-developer-admin-access/comment-page-1/#comment-129470 John Fuex Sat, 06 Mar 2010 01:52:27 +0000 http://edgibbs.com/?p=780#comment-129470 I've been there too, but in just about every case was able to negotiate an exception to the policy for developers. The argument that works best is: "We build software and the associated deployment packages. To build and test that software run an installer for it as much as a few dozen times in a single day. Would you be willing to provide a dedicated help desk person for our department so we can keep productivity up?" A similar issue I usually have to wrangle with IT over is the ability for developers to temporarily disable on-access virus scanning or exclude certain folders. It is absolutely critical when doing performance analysis and trying to get a repeatable result. I’ve been there too, but in just about every case was able to negotiate an exception to the policy for developers. The argument that works best is:
“We build software and the associated deployment packages. To build and test that software run an installer for it as much as a few dozen times in a single day. Would you be willing to provide a dedicated help desk person for our department so we can keep productivity up?”

A similar issue I usually have to wrangle with IT over is the ability for developers to temporarily disable on-access virus scanning or exclude certain folders. It is absolutely critical when doing performance analysis and trying to get a repeatable result.

]]> Comment on Configuration problems with Ruby’s XmlSimple by Administrator http://edgibbs.com/2006/05/28/configuration-problems-with-rubys-xmlsimple/comment-page-1/#comment-129464 Administrator Wed, 17 Feb 2010 23:19:53 +0000 http://edgibbs.com/?p=362#comment-129464 Yeah, that was a editor typo. I actually used: <code>sudo gem install xml-simple</code> Thanks for the catch. Yeah, that was a editor typo. I actually used:

1
sudo gem install xml-simple

Thanks for the catch.

]]> Comment on Configuration problems with Ruby’s XmlSimple by Bala http://edgibbs.com/2006/05/28/configuration-problems-with-rubys-xmlsimple/comment-page-1/#comment-129463 Bala Mon, 15 Feb 2010 10:57:36 +0000 http://edgibbs.com/?p=362#comment-129463 Wrong: # sudo gem gem install xml-simple Correct: sudo gem install xml-simple Wrong:

# sudo gem gem install xml-simple

Correct:
sudo gem install xml-simple

]]> Comment on Developer Expectations by Ed Gibbs http://edgibbs.com/2010/01/04/developer-expectations/comment-page-1/#comment-129437 Ed Gibbs Sun, 10 Jan 2010 02:36:34 +0000 http://edgibbs.com/?p=788#comment-129437 Not a bad idea, but I've lately been trying to figure out how useful trending is with bug trackers. I can't think of a time where I used them for trending other than to show a general pattern on our TDD projects that we saw a very noticeable decrease in defects. Still the danger there is you can game bug tracking very easily. I've always used them, but in an Agile context you can often just track them on a card and leave off the official defect tracker. Not a bad idea, but I’ve lately been trying to figure out how useful trending is with bug trackers. I can’t think of a time where I used them for trending other than to show a general pattern on our TDD projects that we saw a very noticeable decrease in defects. Still the danger there is you can game bug tracking very easily. I’ve always used them, but in an Agile context you can often just track them on a card and leave off the official defect tracker.

]]> Comment on Faulty Hopes for UI Testing Tools by Ed Gibbs http://edgibbs.com/2010/01/05/faulty-hopes-for-ui-testing-tools/comment-page-1/#comment-129436 Ed Gibbs Sun, 10 Jan 2010 02:34:16 +0000 http://edgibbs.com/?p=790#comment-129436 Hope NYC isn't too cold this time of year. Anyway your right about Cucumber, but then Cucumber is giving you BDD style tests and avoiding the UI again like FIT and others. I think using something like Selenium for has to be done for now when you're developing javascript heavy front-ends. The difficult part is if you setup an extensive test suite you suffer from brittleness in these sorts of tests. So I'm pretty much on the same page with your approach. Hope NYC isn’t too cold this time of year. Anyway your right about Cucumber, but then Cucumber is giving you BDD style tests and avoiding the UI again like FIT and others. I think using something like Selenium for has to be done for now when you’re developing javascript heavy front-ends. The difficult part is if you setup an extensive test suite you suffer from brittleness in these sorts of tests. So I’m pretty much on the same page with your approach.

]]> Comment on Faulty Hopes for UI Testing Tools by Luke Melia http://edgibbs.com/2010/01/05/faulty-hopes-for-ui-testing-tools/comment-page-1/#comment-129435 Luke Melia Thu, 07 Jan 2010 18:51:33 +0000 http://edgibbs.com/?p=790#comment-129435 A couple of thoughts, Ed. Cucumber is getting a lot of adoption in the Ruby world. It's my favorite tool bar none for acceptance tests. We use primarily to drive Rails integration tests, but also have it driving a growing Selenium suite since we have a decent amount of javascript-heavy functionality on Weplay. You and Michael are right that these tests are more fragile than tests that skip the UI, but some of this functionality has to be tested, IMO. Cheers from NYC, Luke A couple of thoughts, Ed. Cucumber is getting a lot of adoption in the Ruby world. It’s my favorite tool bar none for acceptance tests. We use primarily to drive Rails integration tests, but also have it driving a growing Selenium suite since we have a decent amount of javascript-heavy functionality on Weplay. You and Michael are right that these tests are more fragile than tests that skip the UI, but some of this functionality has to be tested, IMO.

Cheers from NYC,
Luke

]]> Comment on Developer Expectations by Gavin http://edgibbs.com/2010/01/04/developer-expectations/comment-page-1/#comment-129431 Gavin Wed, 06 Jan 2010 16:17:59 +0000 http://edgibbs.com/?p=788#comment-129431 Pretty good list. I would add something about the bug backlog as well - perhaps a trending metric. Pretty good list. I would add something about the bug backlog as well – perhaps a trending metric.

]]> Comment on An Open Letter to Helpdesk Managers on Developer Admin Access by Ed Gibbs http://edgibbs.com/2010/01/01/an-open-letter-to-helpdesk-managers-on-developer-admin-access/comment-page-1/#comment-129424 Ed Gibbs Sun, 03 Jan 2010 17:15:34 +0000 http://edgibbs.com/?p=780#comment-129424 I completely agree that QA/Testers have it much worse. I always won the argument with the help desk for developers. I often weighed in with the QA managers to get testers the same admin access and was roundly turned down including by CIOs. The assumption that testers aren't very technical is very pervasive in the industry. I did manage a small group of testers for 6 months and I managed to get them admin access by simply pretending they were developers. I hope this is getting better for QA, but I fear it isn't. I completely agree that QA/Testers have it much worse. I always won the argument with the help desk for developers. I often weighed in with the QA managers to get testers the same admin access and was roundly turned down including by CIOs. The assumption that testers aren’t very technical is very pervasive in the industry. I did manage a small group of testers for 6 months and I managed to get them admin access by simply pretending they were developers.

I hope this is getting better for QA, but I fear it isn’t.

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