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978-0-470-08120-4
The Software Development Process
The world changes quickly. Ten years ago, when I taught programming to
computer professionals, I wore a suit and a tie. Last month I taught the
same course wearing a polo shirt and khakis.
computer professionals, I wore a suit and a tie. Last month I taught the
same course wearing a polo shirt and khakis.
This tendency for things to change goes way back. In the 1960s, programmers
and managers noticed that commercial software tended to be very buggy.
They analyzed large projects created by big businesses. They saw software
development efforts going past deadline and over budget. They saw finished
products that were terribly unreliable. Most computer code was difficult to
test and impossible to maintain.
and managers noticed that commercial software tended to be very buggy.
They analyzed large projects created by big businesses. They saw software
development efforts going past deadline and over budget. They saw finished
products that were terribly unreliable. Most computer code was difficult to
test and impossible to maintain.
So they panicked.
They wrote books, magazine articles, and scholarly papers. They theorized.
They devised principles, and they arrived at various conclusions.
They devised principles, and they arrived at various conclusions.
After years of theorizing, they founded the discipline known as software
engineering
engineering
. The goal of software engineering is to discover practices that
help people write good code. As disciplines go, software engineering is pretty
good stuff. Software engineering encourages people to think about the way
they create software. And when people think about the way they work, they
tend to work better.
good stuff. Software engineering encourages people to think about the way
they create software. And when people think about the way they work, they
tend to work better.
But in the 1970s, software engineering focused on methodologies. A methodol-
ogy
ogy
is a prescribed set of practices. Do this, then do that, and finally, do the
other thing. When you’re finished, you have a big software system. But do
you have a useful software system?
you have a useful software system?
In 1979, I worked briefly for a company in Milwaukee. On the day I arrived,
the team manager pointed to the team’s methodology books. The books con-
sisted of two monstrous volumes. Together the volumes consumed about six
inches of bookshelf. I remember the team manager’s words as he pointed a
second time to the books. “That’s what we use around here. Those are the
practices that we follow.”
the team manager pointed to the team’s methodology books. The books con-
sisted of two monstrous volumes. Together the volumes consumed about six
inches of bookshelf. I remember the team manager’s words as he pointed a
second time to the books. “That’s what we use around here. Those are the
practices that we follow.”
I spent several months working for that company. In all those months, no one
ever mentioned the methodology books again. I would have cracked the books
open out of curiosity. But unfortunately, excessive dust makes me sneeze.
Had I found anyone on the team who knew the methodology, I probably
ever mentioned the methodology books again. I would have cracked the books
open out of curiosity. But unfortunately, excessive dust makes me sneeze.
Had I found anyone on the team who knew the methodology, I probably
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Chapter 1: Welcome to the World of Ruby on Rails
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