Software Development Patterns and Antipatterns

Software development has been a troubling since it first started. There are seven chronic problems that have plagued it from the beginning: Incomplete and ambiguous user requirements that grow by >2% per month. Major cost and schedule overruns for large applications > 35% higher than planned. Low defect removal efficiency (DRE) 30% above 10,000 function points. Poor quality and low reliability after the software is delivered: > 5 bugs per FP. Breach of contract litigation against software outsource vendors. Expensive maintenance and enhancement costs after delivery. These are endemic problems for software executives, software engineers and software customers but they are not insurmountable. In Software Development Patterns and Antipatterns , software engineering and metrics pioneer Capers Jones presents technical solutions for all seven. The solutions involve moving from harmful patterns of software development to effective patterns of software development. The first section of the book examines common software development problems that have been observed in many companies and government agencies. The data on the problems comes from consulting studies, breach of contract lawsuits, and the literature on major software failures. This section considers the factors involved with cost overruns, schedule delays, canceled projects, poor quality, and expensive maintenance after deployment. The second section shows patterns that lead to software success. The data comes from actual companies. The section’s first chapter on Corporate Software Risk Reduction in a Fortune 500 company was based on a major telecom company whose CEO was troubled by repeated software failures. The other chapters in this section deal with methods of achieving excellence, as well as measures that can prove excellence to C-level executives, and with continuing excellence through the maintenance cycle as well as for software development. "Software development has been a troubling since it first started. There are seven chronic problems that have plagued it from the beginning: 1. Incomplete and ambiguous user requirements that grow by >2% per month; 2. Major cost and schedule overruns for large applications >35% higher than planned; 3. Low defect removal efficiency (DRE) 30% above 10,000 function points; 5. Poor quality and low reliability after the software is delivered >5 bugs per FP; 6. Breach of contract litigation against software outsource vendors; 7. Expensive maintenance and enhancement costs after delivery. These are endemic problems for software executives, software engineers and software customers but they are not insurmountable. In Software Development Patterns and Antipatterns, software engineering and metrics pioneer Capers Jones presents technical solutions for all seven problems. The solutions involve moving from harmful patterns of software development to effective patterns of software development. The first section of the book examines common software development problems that have been observed in many companies and government agencies. The data on the problems comes from consulting studies, breach of contract lawsuits, and the literature on major software failures. This section considers the factors involved with cost overruns, schedule delays, canceled projects, poor quality, and expensive maintenance after deployment. The second section shows patterns that lead to software success. The data comes from actual companies. The section's first chapter on Corporate Software Risk Reduction in a Fortune 500 company was based on a major telecom company whose CEO was troubled by repeated software failures. The other chapters in this section deal with methods of achieving excellence, as well as measures that can prove excellence to C-level executives, and with continuing excellence through the maintenance cycle as well as for software development."--Page 4 of cover Software development has been a troubling since it first started. There are seven chronic problems that have plagued it from the beginning: 2. Incomplete and ambiguous user requirements that grow by >2% per month. 4. Major cost and schedule overruns for large applications > 35% higher than planned. 6. Low defect removal efficiency (DRE) 30% above 10,000 function points. 10. Poor quality and low reliability after the software is delivered: > 5 bugs per FP. 12. Breach of contract litigation against software outsource vendors. 14. Expensive maintenance and enhancement costs after delivery. These are endemic problems for software executives, software engineers and software customers but they are not insurmountable. In **Software Development Patterns and Antipatterns**, software engineering and metrics pioneer **Capers Jones** presents technical solutions for all seven. The solutions involve moving from harmful patterns of software development to effective patterns of software development. The first section of the book examines common software development problems that have been observed in many companies and government agencies. The data on the problems comes from consulting studies, breach of contract lawsuits, and the literature on major software failures. This section considers the factors involved with cost overruns, schedule delays, canceled projects, poor quality, and expensive maintenance after deployment. The second section shows patterns that lead to software success. The data comes from actual companies. The section’s first chapter on Corporate Software Risk Reduction in a Fortune 500 company was based on a major telecom company whose CEO was troubled by repeated software failures. The other chapters in this section deal with methods of achieving excellence, as well as measures that can prove excellence to C-level executives, and with continuing excellence through the maintenance cycle as well as for software development. This book reveals the types of homework activity that are most beneficial to pupils' attainment and makes sense of the research on homework and how it can be used most effectively. Suggesting ways in which the impact of homework can be improved, this book offers practical ideas, strategies and activities that teachers can implement, trial and adopt in their own classrooms. The guidance in this book is based on over 5 years research and links current evidence from cognitive psychology on retrieval practice, spacing and interleaving to the setting of homework. The book includes the following: suggestions for effective preparation tasks a discussion on metacognition and how this can help pupils revise and complete schoolwork independently an overview of how we can effectively check homework the importance of feedback how schools can support pupils and parents with homework as well as the importance of having a crystal-clear homework policy. This is essential reading for for school leaders and teachers of all subjects, across all phases wanting to ensure that their homework activities have a real impact on pupil's learning. "This book reveals the types of homework activity that are most beneficial to pupils' attainment and makes practical sense of the research on homework and how it can be used most effectively. Suggesting ways in which the impact of homework can be improved, this book offers practical ideas, strategies, and activities that teachers can implement, trial, and adopt in their own classrooms. Linking current evidence from cognitive psychology on retrieval practice, spacing and interleaving to the setting of homework, the book includes: suggestions for effective preparation tasks; a discussion on metacognition and how this can help pupils revise and complete schoolwork independently; an overview of how we can effectively check homework; the importance of feedback; how schools can support pupils and parents with homework as well as the importance of having a crystal-clear homework policy. This is essential reading for all teachers and school leaders wanting to ensure their homework activities have a real impact on student's learning"-- Provided by publisher This book reveals the types of homework activity that are most beneficial to pupils' attainment and makes practical sense of the research on homework and how it can be used most effectively. Suggesting ways in which the impact of homework can be improved, this book offers practical ideas, strategies and activities that teachers can implement, trial and adopt in their own classrooms. Linking current evidence from cognitive psychology on retrieval practice, spacing and interleaving to the setting of homework, the book includes the following: suggestions for effective preparation tasks a discussion on metacognition and how this can help pupils revise and complete schoolwork independently an overview of how we can effectively check homework the importance of feedback how schools can support pupils and parents with homework as well as the importance of having a crystal-clear homework policy. This is essential reading for all teachers and school leaders wanting to ensure thattheir homework activities have a real impact on pupil's learning Scope creep, budget overruns, poor quality, low defect removal, breach of contract, and expensive maintenance are endemic problems to software development projects, but they are not insurmountable. There are technical solutions for all them. This book shows how to move from harmful patterns of software development to effective ones.