Working With Coders: A Guide To Software Development For The Perplexed Non-techie

Download Working With Coders: A Guide To Software Development For The Perplexed Non-techie

Get introduced to the fascinating world inhabited by the professional software developer. Aimed at a non-technical audience, this book aims to de-obfuscate the jargon, explain the various activities that coders undertake, and analyze the specific pressures, priorities, and preoccupations that developers are prone to. In each case it offers pragmatic advice on how to use this knowledge to make effective business decisions and work productively with software teams.

Software projects are, all too often, utter nightmares for everyone involved. Depending on which study you read, between 60 and 90 percent of all software projects are completed late, run over budget, or deliver an inferior quality end product. This blight affects everyone from large organizations trying to roll out business change to tiny startups desperately trying to launch their MVP before the money runs out. While there has been much attention devoted to understanding these failings, leading to the development of entire­ management methodologies aimed at reducing the failure rate, such new processes have had, at best, limited success in delivering better results.

Based on a decade spent exploring the world of software, Patrick Gleeson argues that the underlying reason for the high failure rate of software projects is that software development, being a deeply arcane and idiosyncratic process, tends to be thoroughly and disastrously misunderstood by managers and leaders. So long as the people tasked with making decisions about software projects are unaware of these idiosyncrasies and their ramifications, software projects will be delivered late, software products will be unfit for purpose, and relations between software developers and their non-technical colleagues will be strained. Even the most potent modern management tools are ineffective when wielded blindly.

To anyone who employs, contracts, manages, or works with software developers, Working with Coders: A Guide to Software Development for the Perplexed Non-Techie delivers the understanding necessary to reduce friction and inefficiencies at the intersection between software development teams and their non-technical colleagues.

What You'll Learn

Discover why software projects are so commonly delivered late and with an abysmal end product

Examine why the relationship between coders and their non-technical colleagues is often strained

Understand how the software development process works and how to support it effectively

Decipher and use the jargon of software development

Keep a team of coders happy and improve the odds of successful software project delivery

Who This Book Is For

Anyone who employs, contracts, or manages software developers―such as tech startup CEOs, project managers, and clients of digital agencies―and wishes the relationship were easier and more productive. The secondary readership is software developers who want to find ways of working more effectively as part of a team.

Grand Timely Topics In Software Engineering

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This tutorial volume includes the revised and extended tutorials (briefings) held at the 5th International Summer School on Grand Timely Topics in Software Engineering, GTTSE 2015, in Braga, Portugal, in August 2015. GTTSE 2015 applied a broader scope to include additional areas of software analysis, empirical research, modularity, and product lines. The tutorials/briefings cover probabilistic program analysis, ontologies in software engineering, empirical evaluation of programming and programming languages, model synchronization management of software product families, "people analytics" in software development, DSLs in robotics, structured program generation techniques, advanced aspects of software refactoring, and name binding in language implementation.

Software Configuration Management: A How To Guide For Project Staff

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I N T R O D U C T I O N

Configuration management (CM) is the regulation of the way in which a software product evolves during the development and maintenance phases of the product lifecycle. It is the process by which the individual components of a software system are identified so that any changes to the configuration of these components can be systematically traced and therefore controlled throughout the complete span of the development cycle. CM thus forms the basis for product and project measurement.

This How To Guide is based in large part on ANSI/IEEE 1042.

S C O P E

This How To Guide describes the application of configuration management (CM) principles to the management of software development projects. CM consists of two major aspects; planning and implementation.

For those planning software configuration management activities, this standard provides guide-lines into the aspects which must be considered.

For those implementing software configuration management disciplines can use the sample Configuration Management Plan attached.

This How To Guide outlines the essential concepts of CM, including libraries and tools.

O B J E C T I V E S

To achieve the above, the objective of a project manager will be the identification and establishment of baselines; the review, approval, and control of changes to the project components; the tracking and reporting of such changes; the reviews of the evolving product; the control of documentation; and the control of the interfaces to the clients and supplier.

However it should be noted that this How To Guide specifies the minimum requirements, and therefore the project manager has the option where required, to expand and supplement as necessary for the development of specific project activities.

In specific terms, the objective of CM procedures are to provide methods for:

- Version identification

- Obtaining approval to implement a modification

- Ensuring that modifications are correctly integrated through formal change control pro-cedures

- Controlling the identification of development status

- Ensuring that nonconforming software is identified and segregated

Contribution to IS Quality. A structured and comprehensive approach to software design is known to be a major factor contributing to Information Systems Quality. Adequate configuration management is however often not performed, contributing to a higher number of software defects which impact the real and perceived quality of the software, as well as leading to time and expense being spent on rework and higher maintenance costs.

How to Write Configuration Management Plans is a plain-English, procedural guide to developing CM Plans that are both systematic and comprehensive. It contains detailed instructions and templates.

Software Metrics: A How To Guide For Project Staff

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I N T R O D U C T I O N

How to Perform Software Metrics is a plain-english, simplified version of IEEE Std 1061 Standard for a Software Metrics Methodology.

This how to guide defines the standard for software quality metrics methodology. It is meant for people involved with the purchase, development, use, assistance, maintenance or review of soft-ware. The standard is especially directed at those measuring or reviewing the quality of software.

S C O P E

How to Perform Software Metrics supplies a methodology for founding quality requirements and recognising, implementing, analysing and validating process and product software quality metrics.

This methodology applies to all software at all stages of any software life-cycle structure. Sections 1 through 4 provide, scope, definitions, and background information which is the basis of this standard; all parts of Section 5 are compulsory. Appendices A through D are incorporated for illustrative and reference reasons only.

This how to guide does not assign specific metrics. However, the appendices include models of metrics together with a finalised example of the use of this standard.

O B J E C T I V E S

The objectives of How to Perform Software Metrics are to provide definitive software metrics reference to the following categories of person:

- Purchasing/project managers to identify, state and priori-tise the quality requirements for a system.

- System developers to identify definite features that should be assembled into the software in order to meet the quality requirements.

- Quality audit/assurance/control company and a system developer to review whether the quality requirements are being met.

- System maintainers to aid in change management during product development.

- User to help in distinguishing the quality requirements for a system

Contribution to IS Quality. Software metrics form an indispensable part of any software process improvement program. Without the means to measure improvements (or otherwise) in software quality, it cannot be determined whether process improvement is being achieved.

This how to guide is an valuable aid for project and quality managers to address the important process of keeping software metrics. It is is an easy to use checklist, as defined by IEEE Std 1061, and template to achieve this end.

How To Be A Geek: Essays On The Culture Of Software

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Computer software and its structures, devices and processes are woven into our everyday life. Their significance is not just technical: the algorithms, programming languages, abstractions and metadata that millions of people rely on every day have far-reaching implications for the way we understand the underlying dynamics of contemporary societies.

In this innovative new book, software studies theorist Matthew Fuller examines how the introduction and expansion of computational systems into areas ranging from urban planning and state surveillance to games and voting systems are transforming our understanding of politics, culture and aesthetics in the twenty-first century. Combining historical insight and a deep understanding of the technology powering modern software systems with a powerful critical perspective, this book opens up new ways of understanding the fundamental infrastructures of contemporary life, economies, entertainment and warfare.

In so doing Fuller shows that everyone must learn ‘how to be a geek’, as the seemingly opaque processes and structures of modern computer and software technology have a significance that no-one can afford to ignore. This powerful and engaging book will be of interest to everyone interested in a critical understanding of the political and cultural ramifications of digital media and computing in the modern world.

Building High Performance Agile Teams

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In any modern organisation, software has an increasingly important role to play. From content management systems to warehouse databases and e-commerce stores, software applications are fundamental to any successful business, yet are often a source of frustration for the business owner.

Software teams can take that frustration away by creating software that provides a positive experience for both the organisation running it, and the audience using it. It’s therefore important to make sure your team is well equipped to handle the challenges they’ll face along the way.

Written by the team at Made Tech, this book is your guide to building an agile, productive, and happy software delivery team.

The Agile Software Tester: Software Testing In The Agile World

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While many organisations have adopted the agile framework fully with a carefully planned strategy and 100% company commitment which means they are now reaping the benefits gained there are still plenty of software companies out there who have, for one reason or another, not. These companies still ignore the agile framework methodology or they have simply placed a taskboard in the centre of the office and stated ‘there, we are agile’. While it is true that the agile methodology is not for everyone and not every software development project is suited to the framework it is, however, the way forward for the majority of companies who are involved in software development. As agile has grown in popularity and usage over the decades the amount of literature about the subject has also grown. However most of the books currently available on the market focus on the project management or software development areas of the software development life cycle, there is still very little for the agile software tester to read. In the agile world; testing and the software tester are just as important as any other process or person and that is why I have written this book. Hopefully experienced and new testers alike will find some useful pointers within these humble pages which will help them enhance their career and enjoyment of testing software. Test professionals involvement in agile projects remains challenged because of the very different nature of the agile methodology compared to older methodologies such as waterfall and the V model. This is also not helped by a level of misunderstanding about the true nature of agile that persists in many companies and deep-rooted prejudices aimed at testers by some programmers and project managers (they are nothing more than failed programmers being a common feeling). Although there are many test professionals succeeding in agile projects, many others continue to struggle to succeed and achieve their true potential that their skills and dedication deserve. Testers who have spent many years testing outside of agile can also often struggle to make the jump across the waterfall. However with quality training, good management and self-belief this jump can be completed, this is where the third edition of this book comes in.

Raspberry Pi-tastic: Getting Started With The Raspberry Pi 3 Micro Computer

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The Raspberry PI 3 is a versatile platform that can provide many useful functions. It can be; a WiFi hot-spot, a media player, a programming device or controller or be used for many of the functions of a personal computer or tablet PC. The most amazing thing about it is that even for the basic purchase price, it can do many things that a PC can do!

We start by taking a look at the chequered history of Micro-Computing in the 1980s and how we got to 2012 when the Raspberry Pi was launched to an eager world of potential programmers.

This book is written from my personal perspective as a novice, though with a lot of IT and programming experience. I hope, through first-hand experience, to guide the reader through the basics of setting up a Raspberry Pi and holding your hand through some interesting projects such as Installing operating systems, installing software packages, building a dedicated Kodi or OSMC media center, installing a Python software controlled cooling fan, running Ubuntu Linux on the Raspberry Pi, and running operating systems from a USB hard drive. I feature photos, diagrams, and code examples to guide you step by step through these technical processes.

The author is an experienced PC, software, hardware technician who first used a computer in the 1970s when they where very much a rarity. Since then he has taught himself by practice and research, to become a competent professional software and web developer and has developed web sites for several start-up IT companies.

He still likes to get his hands dirty and runs a weekly computer support group locally, this specialises in converting aged laptops and netbooks from legacy Windows operating system to Linux, helping people to promote businesses online, building simple web pages and promoting their business.

Software Engineering 021: Changing The Future Of Mankind Through Creative Logical Art, One Bit At A Time

Download Software Engineering 021: Changing The Future Of Mankind Through Creative Logical Art, One Bit At A Time

A uniquely designed course to take anyone from absolute basics through to an expert level in software engineering by providing a solid foundation and understanding of software as well as programming concepts and system design principles. The content includes the following: - Human & Computer Evolution - Internet History & Numbering Systems - Hardware & Software - Networking - Software Industry & Development - Setup & Development Environment - Programming Terminology - System Development Life Cycle - Full Programming Course - Maintenance & Scalability - System Design - Software Engineering This 230 page course is very special in having a well defined structure to take you through from a high overview of the software industry to in-depth programming concepts in order to ensure that you can walk away and start a proper career in software or significantly improve on your system design. While the content covers in-depth technical information, the course is simple and easily understandable so that you can get abstract concepts and actually use the information to grow and gain value in your personal life. The content is also much more than just technical in providing you insight and value as a person with a course built to inspire a new mentality for self improvement and personal growth. The content of the course is of a university level including many years in the industry and the cost is significantly undervalued so that anyone around the world has opportunity to educate themselves. The value you gain from this course will have you walk away a changed person.

Software Engineering Trends And Techniques In Intelligent Systems

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This book presents new approaches and methods to solve real-world problems as well as exploratory research describing novel approaches in the field of software engineering and intelligent systems.

It particularly focuses on modern trends in selected fields of interest, introducing new algorithms, methods and application of intelligent systems in software engineering.

The book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the Software Engineering Trends and Techniques in Intelligent Systems Section of the 6th Computer Science On-line Conference 2017 (CSOC 2017), held in April 2017.

System Analyst Solutions: Enterprise Network Patching From Windows Command Line

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This book will show you how load software on remote workstations throughout your Enterprise network from your Desktop PC! This gives a System Analyst a backup solution to loading software, making configuration changes, and accessing different information from any PC on their domain without expensive software. This book covers WMIC and PSEXEC (WMIC comes pre-built, and PSEXEC is available free of charge. So download this book today!

Model-driven Software Engineering In Practice, Second Edition (iop Concise Physics)

Download Model-driven Software Engineering In Practice, Second Edition (iop Concise Physics)

This book discusses how model-based approaches can improve the daily practice of software professionals. This is known as Model-Driven Software Engineering (MDSE) or, simply, Model-Driven Engineering (MDE). MDSE practices have proved to increase efficiency and effectiveness in software development, as demonstrated by various quantitative and qualitative studies. MDSE adoption in the software industry is foreseen to grow exponentially in the near future, e.g., due to the convergence of software development and business analysis.

The aim of this book is to provide you with an agile and flexible tool to introduce you to the MDSE world, thus allowing you to quickly understand its basic principles and techniques and to choose the right set of MDSE instruments for your needs so that you can start to benefit from MDSE right away. The book is organized into two main parts.

* The first part discusses the foundations of MDSE in terms of basic concepts (i.e., models and transformations), driving principles, application scenarios, and current standards, like the well-known MDA initiative proposed by OMG (Object Management Group) as well as the practices on how to integrate MDSE in existing development processes.

* The second part deals with the technical aspects of MDSE, spanning from the basics on when and how to build a domain-specific modeling language, to the description of Model-to-Text and Model-to-Model transformations, and the tools that support the management of MDSE projects.

The second edition of the book features:

* a set of completely new topics, including: full example of the creation of a new modeling language (IFML), discussion of modeling issues and approaches in specific domains, like business process modeling, user interaction modeling, and enterprise architecture

* complete revision of examples, figures, and text, for improving readability, understandability, and coherence

* better formulation of definitions, dependencies between concepts and ideas

* addition of a complete index of book content

In addition to the contents of the book, more resources are provided on the book's website

, including the examples presented in the book.

Mastering Scale And Complexity In Software Reuse

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This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 16th International Conference on Software Reuse, ICSR 2017, held in Salvador, Brazil, in May 2017.

The 8 revised full papers presented together with 3 short papers and 2 keynote presentations were carefully reviewed and selected from 34 submissions. The papers are grouped in topical sections on documentation reuse and repositories; software product lines; variability management and model variants; verification and refactoring for reuse; tools demonstrations; doctorial symposium; tutorials; and workshop.