filepaths
I recently imported some source code for a customer that exceeded the maximum path limit of 256 characters. The paths in question weren't particularly meaningful, just pathologically* long, with redundant subfolders. To complete the migration, I renamed some of the parent folders to single character values. This made
software development
In Microsoft Project and the Gantt Waterfall, many commenters wondered why software projects can't be treated like any other construction or engineering project: I am not sure why it is so difficult to estimate software development? Is it a mystery, magic, is there a man behind the curtain
screencasting
If a picture is worth a thousand words, is a single screencast equal to a thousand word blog post? There's a lot to be said for lightweight, embedded screencasts. I'm particularly fond of animated GIF screencasts for small demonstrations. You can see examples in these posts:
customization
Vendors often pitch customization as a feature of their software [http://www.edocmagazine.com/vault_articles.asp?ID=25530&header=e_features_header.gif] : > In the end, customizations and enhancements to a software solution are nearly always needed. This allows the software to be tailored to your needs,
history
I read Robert X Cringley's book Accidental Empires [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0887308554/codihorr-20] shortly after it was published in 1992. It's a gripping worm's eye view of Silicon Valley's formative years. It's also Doc Searls'
software development
Although I've been dismissive of build servers in the past, I've increasingly come to believe that the build server is critical-- it's the heart monitor of your software project. It can tell you when your project is healthy, and it can give you advance
programming concepts
In Does Writing Code Matter?, I proposed that developers spend less time on the technical stuff, which they're already quite good at, and more time cultivating other non-technical skills that developers tend to lack. One commenter took issue with this approach: I don't agree with the
software development
In classic project management parlance [http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA010211801033.aspx] , every project is a combination of money, scope and time. 1. Here's what we're going to do 2. Here's how much time we have to do it 3. Here's
software development
In Lean Software Development: An Agile Toolkit [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0321150783/codihorr-20], Mary and Tom Poppendieck describe a counter-intuitive technique for making better decisions: > Concurrent software development means starting development when only partial requirements are known and developing in short iterations that provide the feedback
scrum
Here's a description of the daily Scrum meeting in the Scrum process: During the month-long sprints, the team holds daily meetings-- the daily Scrum. Meetings are typically held in the same location and at the same time each day. Ideally the daily Scrums are held in the morning,
software development
It's Monday, and Steve Yegge still hates Agile software development. How much does he hate it? Approximately 11,000 words' worth. I think I could start a cottage industry producing Cliff's Notes versions of Steve Yegge posts. Here's my condensed version of Steve&
agile
We've adopted Scrum for all of our software development at Vertigo. Although I'm totally in favor of Anything But Waterfall, Scrum is an unfortunate name: 1. It's two additional characters away from a term for male genitalia. 2. The term is derived from rugby,