Better Software Articles

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Feedback Before Firing

If someone on your project team isn't working up to par, it might take more than a simple showing of your disapproval to put him on the right track. Johanna Rothman suggests trying specific and useful feedback--show your employees the light before you show them the door.
Johanna Rothman's picture Johanna Rothman
April 11, 2006
Logging a Path to Code Clarity

A good log file may be the best tool to track down those "cannot reproduce" bugs, but creating the best log takes a certain amount of careful nurturing. In this article, Tod Golding explains why log files can be worth every extra line of code.
Tod Golding's picture Tod Golding
April 11, 2006
A Look at GreenBlue Inspector by Ecyware

Why should hackers have all the good tools? Marnie Hutcheson takes a look at Ecyware's GreenBlue Inspector, an inexpensive tool that automates gray box vulnerability testing for simple data types, buffer overflow, SQL injection, and cross-site scripting in forms, cookies, and client requests.
Marnie Hutcheson
March 30, 2006
Stress Testing - What a Load!

People often ask software quality specialist Scott Ames how they can increase stress in their projects. With tongue planted firmly in cheek, he responds with some steps that are guaranteed to increase the overall stress on people and projects.
Scott G. Ames
March 30, 2006
Held Hostage by a Prima Donna

This installment of Management Chronicles relates the story of an office that has been overtaken by the whims of a real prima donna. Is the value of one indispensable person worth risking the productivity of the entire team? Author Esther Derby offers her insights.
Esther Derby's picture Esther Derby
March 30, 2006
Patterns Without Purpose

Architectural patterns are a convenient way to design and build your code, but be careful not to bite off more than you can chew. Tod Golding offers advice on avoiding useless layers and letting each pattern earn its way into your architecture.
Tod Golding's picture Tod Golding
March 30, 2006
Maintaining Your Course

What does maintainability mean to you? Michael Bolton discusses the different elements of this often-overlooked attribute of software projects and what it means as a guideword heuristic to rapid testers.
Michael Bolton's picture Michael Bolton
March 30, 2006
Living by Principles, Not by Plans

Reality is not a static thing, and when the reality of a situation changes, so too must our plans. In his article, Lee Copeland explains why "planning" does not equal "controlling" and suggests that we should look to our principles for guidance.
Lee Copeland's picture Lee Copeland
March 30, 2006
Breaking With Tradition

Though the term "agile" isn't often ascribed to the ways of software configuration management, Steve Berczuk offers some ways in which applying the principles of agile SCM can help teams work more effectively.
Steve Berczuk's picture Steve Berczuk
March 30, 2006
I Didn't Know I Needed That

There is a natural relationship between the features in a product and the customer's satisfaction with that product, but not every feature influences customers in the same way. The best plan for satisfying customers, as author Mike Cohn explains, is to give them what they want.
Mike Cohn's picture Mike Cohn
March 30, 2006

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