Failing builds, the sound of silence

Derik Whittaker — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 13:00:48 GMT

I'm sure that everyone has heard the riddle 'If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?'. This riddle is all about observation and knowledge of reality.

Well, I have a riddle for software teams following TDD.

'If a build fails and no-one fixes it, did it actually fail?'

Till next time,

New Development Methodology: Change and Pray Development (CPD)

Derik Whittaker — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 13:36:38 GMT

A while back there was a posting out there about all the different software development methodologies (this was a parity posting). Yesterday I was chatting with a buddy and we coined a new development methodology.... Change and Pray Development (CPD).

Here is how you can tell if you or your team/company follow this methodology.

You don't have any unit tests.
Your system is so intertwined that you cannot tell the difference between the UI and the data layer.
Making a single change to a single class has ramifications beyond your wildest dreams.
Your development team is afraid to make changes because the only person that knew/understood that code has left for greener pastures.
It can take you weeks worth of tracking down a 'simple' bug before you know enough to even know where the bug originates.

Here is the typical development pattern for someone in that follows this methodology

Decide to make a change to the code
Find the place you 'Think' needs the change
Make your change
Compile your code to hope is even compiles
Run the application to ensure you changes worked
PRAY that you did not screw up anything else

If you find yourself in a Change and Pray shop run, don't look back, don't try to fix it, don't hope it will get better just RUN......

Till next time,

Derik Whittaker : Methodology, Humor

Failing builds, the sound of silence

New Development Methodology: Change and Pray Development (CPD)