Show me code written by ten developers and I'll show you ten different coding
styles. So why try to develop and enforce coding standards? Who cares what a
program looks like as long as it works?
The primary reason for adopting coding standards is to make it easier for
developers to read and understand each other's code. Although peer reviews
are relatively new, most developers maintain.or at least step through.someone
else's code. A huge amount of development effort is wasted reading
undecipherable code. It is amazing how a few style changes can make code
difficult to read.
Armed with coding standards, development teams can improve the quality of
their software, making it easier to maintain and they can pre-empt bugs
before they reach end-users.
Easier Maintenance
Acco... (more)
In an article in the October edition of the FTP Webzine "Upside" Peter Varhol
laments the trend toward per-developer metrics in the software development
process. "Individual developer data is stored and available to be manipulated
in less than honorable ways," he says, "and there are people in enterprises
who know how to take advantage of such information for their own purposes."
Yes Pete... (more)
Never Mind the Quality, Feel the Width" was the title of a British TV sitcom
in the late 60's (yes, I really am that old), which has nothing to do with
Java software development. Or does it?
The more I talk to people about the issue of Java software quality, the more
I am reminded of the name of that seemingly ridiculous TV show. It seems to
me that however much we talk about the need for... (more)
We've all experienced it - the "get it out the door" mentality that seems to
be the driving force behind many software application deliveries - a prime
example of the software industry's immaturity that favors completion over
quality, and an end user's preference for hot new features over stable,
reliable systems. Deferring the QA process is an expensive way to operate and
corporations a... (more)
Gojko Adzic has a great post today on the application of the
“Poka-Yoke” principle to software development. I’d bever
heard of Poka-Yoke before, but it looks like it's another application of a
Japanese manufacturing technique to software development. Personally, I think
you have to be careful about these analogies, but this one works, in my
opinion.
... (more)