> > For a little bit of on-topic goodness, what is the group's opinion on
> > the trend of software engineering quality starting from ancient times?
> > Have we improved (practially, not academically) or worsened?
>
>I think it's about stayed the same. Programmers were, are, and will
>always be lazy and impatient.
>
>If you look at Microsoft code excluisvely, one could make a good argument
>that we've worsened considerably.
>
>Sellam Ismail Vintage Computer
>Festival
>------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>International Man of Intrigue and Danger
>http://www.vintage.org
As a software quality professional involved in the industry for nearly 30
years, I would contend that the quality of software is far worse today than
previously. I think this has come about for several reasons.
1.) The tools the developers use to create software has made it "acceptible"
to take shortcuts in the documentation, design, and testing of software.
When I first started in engineering, every project was completely documented
and desk checked BEFORE any code was written. While best practices indicates
this is the correct way to engineer any project, cost was the real driving
force for this methodology. When you had to punch cards, and schedule time
on a mainframe to compile an application, it was easy to see the cost
savings in doing it right the first time.
If a programmer (they weren't called developers back then) wrote an
application and it bombed, it could be several days before the code would be
recompiled. The costs in doing that were pretty obvious and management
simply would not allow a programmer to write code until everything else was
complete.
In todays environment, a developer can compile the application on their
workstation in a matter of seconds. You can make a code change, compile the
application, and test a module in just a few seconds. While that sounds like
an effective way to work, those shortcuts lead to an overall lack of
quality.
Most developers where I currently work, write the code first then create
documentation that reflects the way their software works. Worst of all,
uninformed management believes this is the most efficient way to create
software.
2.) The current business environment places tremendous value on being the
"first to market". This is true even if the software is completely
non-functional. As long as you release it before your competitors, you've
got an advantage. Even if it doesn't work!
3.) The explosion of the Internet has brought a lot of people into the
software development arena that should be in other professions. In recent
years, anyone that knew a language's syntax could get a job as a developer.
"Knowing the syntax does not a developer make". Hmmm... That could be my new
sig file :-)
4.) Lower user expectations.
My $.02
SteveRob
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Received on Mon Dec 17 2001 - 16:07:48 GMT