March, 2009

New book: Step-by-step Eclipse plug-ins, plus Java testing tool

I found a handy tool for automating testing of Java graphical user interfaces (GUIs) while reading Eclipse Plug-ins, third edition (Addison-Wesley) by Eric Clayberg and Dan Rubel. This month, I also...

Recession survival tips for project managers

In an economic downturn, project managers have to motivate teams that may be worried and overworked, a situation in which projecting optimism, confidence and an “anything is possible” attitude is a must, according to project management consultant and trainer Michelle LaBrosse. On the...

Using screen recorders as a lightweight form of documentation

Any time I find that I need to create training material or reference material, I ask myself if it makes sense to use some sort of screen capture utility to capture that information. I find that it can be a better medium for some types of content. And, given current technology (both commercial...

Blu Age at EclipseCon: On agile, an agile project, reverse engineering

On the eve of EclipseCon in Santa Clara, CA, which opened today, I interviewed NetFective Technology Group president Christian Champagne about agile adoption and legacy application reverse engineering, as well as a legacy app makeover that Blu Age...

How test-driven development increases overall usability

Test-driven development (TDD) can be the path to not having to reinvent the wheel with every new test. In the test-driven development I've done, I've found that my tests force me to write a more manageable interface over time. Early in a programming a class, I find that I can get away with...

Upcoming software testing conference tutorials

The Association for Software Testing (AST) recently announced the tutorial lineup for its upcoming conference in Colorado Springs. It's an impressive lineup, covering both mainstream topics (like agile) and more...

Figuring out what to document for operations

With several agile teams I've worked with, thinking about operations has been an afterthought. Even when operations personnel are captured as stakeholders upfront, many times the hand-off from development to production is ... well, "less than coordinated."

I think this happens for a...

Why video modes matter in software testing and configuration

In my software testing work, I've found that video configuration consistency is a critical factor in a system’s performance and behavior under test conditions and an important factor in delivering technology in the intended fashion.  Naturally, traditional resolution requirements for a...

Privacy issues with cloud computing

Judith Myerson recently published a developerWorks article on cloud computing versus grid computing. It's a fantastic read if you're new to the topic, and provides tons of links for where to learn more. While introducing...

Agile, management tools help small team boost software quality

Scheduling, documentation, tracking bugs and –- most critically -– producing great products with a small development staff are the headaches Dan McRae, Comet Solutions Inc.’s software engineering manager, faces every day. I talked with McRae recently about how he’s combined best...