Better Software Magazine Archive: November 2008

IN THIS ISSUE

Metrics that Motivate
By Linda Hayes

To implement a meaningful incentive system for your team, you need to select metrics that encourage the behaviors you need and the results you want. But first you have to decide what you need and want.

Follow the Process
By Lee Copeland

Building better software does not rely on methodologies. "Following the process" omits important human factors that ultimately lead us to success.

Simple Summaries Of Complex Projects
By Payson Hall

How can we meaningfully summarize—in a brief status report without losing important details—the successes and setbacks our projects experience?

Google Web Toolkit: Writing Ajax Applications Test First
By Daniel Wellman

In part two of the series, Daniel introduces Google Web Toolkit's testing infrastructure and demonstrates how to build an Ajax application test first.

Getting Agile With User-Centered Design
By Darius Kumana
Jon Dickinson

Agile practices go a long way toward providing value to our customers. But in today's market, we must endeavor to adopt a more user-centered approach to create products our customers can't live without.

Cover or Discover?
By Michael Bolton

Excellent testing isn't just about covering the "map"–it's also about exploring the territory, which is the process by which we discover things that the map doesn't cover.

Keep Non-developers in the Loop
By Melanie Tayler

Keeping QA members up to date on changes as they happen–through meetings, wikis, and email–can reduce the number of unnecessary bug reports and save you time and frustration.

Encapsulation and Vampires
By Kevlin Henney

Encapsulation is more than just using the "private" keyword when defining a class. You need a boundary that keeps the vampires out.

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