Better Software Magazine

Better Software Magazine Articles

Get the Picture?

Peter TerMaat tells the story of a failing project and a chart that influenced a $2 million decision.

Peter TerMaat
Configuration Bugs That Bite

Bugs can creep in through the smallest crack. The problem may not necessarily be the testing, it might be your change management system. In this latest offering of Bug Report, the authors describe two techniques you can use on your project.

Kristy Hill Mike Cohn
Security Testing by Steven Splaine

For anyone involved in security testing, or for anyone who is just plain curious about this area of software testing, the following references will provide a good starting point for any effort that you might be asked to undertake. In this issue, Steven Splaine discusses this important aspect of software engineering.

Steven Splaine
Stuck in Neutral

Have you ever found yourself unable to get going on a project? Learn tips to help prevent this from happening to you and how to deal with it after it has happened. Esther Derby explains how she was able to move forward after being stuck.

Esther Derby's picture Esther Derby
Are You Ready?

 A contractor or new employee is about to start work in your department. Have you paved the way for the new arrival to hit the job running? Check out this guide to make sure you've thought of everything.

Michael Bolton's picture Michael Bolton
The Product Champion: Making Sure that Customer, Team, and Business Needs Are Well Represented in the Development Process

Having a close relationship with the customer is always a good idea. But with that relationship comes risks. Most projects could use a knight in shining armor to protect their product's future. Discover how a product champion can help your organization stay focused on the customer without losing sight of the big picture.

Linda Rising's picture Linda Rising
Visual Requirements

Instead of wading through requirements documents, try drawing them instead. Learn about three simple diagrams and how to turn them quickly into valuable models. The diagrams presented here represent the most commonly used types for each of the three software dimension perspectives: data flow diagrams for function, class diagrams for information, and state transition diagrams for behavior.

Becky Winant
Troubleshooting Risk-Based Testing

It's not easy to know the ways that a product might fail, determine how important the failures would be if they occurred, and then develop and excuse tests to discover whether or not the product would indeed fail in those ways. Renowned tester James Bach shares some of his tips for dealing with common risk-based testing obstacles.

James Bach's picture James Bach
A Small Matter of Metrics

Think you’re ready to launch your new metrics program? Think again. Find out how conducting a trial measurement program on yourself first can give you valuable insights and understanding. Learn about the value and limits of measurement, gain knowledge into why many software measurement efforts fail, and prepare yourself for launching a successful program.

Dave W. Smith
Taking Test-Driven Development for a Drive

Sometimes TDD (Test-Driven Development) doesn't get used because it can be cost prohibitive to a testing budget. Read on as Joel Spolsky laments the limited real-life usefulness of test-driven development and discusses some common roadblocks to using this testing technique.

Joel Spolsky

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