Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Live longer with source control!

I confess, I made a bad mistake some time ago. I started to work on a project that had no proper source control system in place. Instead, zip files with source code were copied back and forth and merging was done manually using WinMerge. And I did not take a stand and say: "I want a source control system or I'm outta here!". Not that it would have helped, but it is the principle that counts.

As a result I spent at least two hours every week merging code. And then the risk that something would go wrong and I would need to spend at least another hour to find out what was going on and correct the problem! As I have the memory of a gold fish (*) those were the two hours I picked up the phone saying "I call you back!" only to put it down without taking the effort to notice who was calling. People could have said my boss was standing outside giving free money to whoever asked for it without me hearing them, let alone being interested. By Turing, what a stress!

Now I'm in a similar project situation where we do use a proper source control system, in this case Subversion. If they are using a source control system in Heaven, I'm sure it is Subversion. Although not flawless, but what a blessing it is! But if you are using CVS, that's OK too. And there are probably more cool source control systems that I don't know of, but since I don't know them, who cares.

By the way, did I already tell you I wrote a white paper about how to use CVS in combination with JDeveloper? No? OK, I wrote a white paper about how to use CVS in combination with JDeveloper. You can download it from OTN. It is based on JDeveloper 9.x and perhaps a little bit outdated, but it still explains the principles of source control and what it can do for you. JDeveloper 10.1.3 already offers much better integration, also with Subversion. I hope to be able to write a white paper about that too. Maybe it helps when you call my manager and tell him you want me to write it. Just say the word and I'll give you his phone number!

Anyway, the point I try to make here is this. The effort of installing a source control system like Subversion and maintain it, is only a fraction of the time people spend on things like manual merging. And then the risk of things going wrong. Come on project managers, you can do without that! It is hard to give you exact metrics, but based on experience I dare to say you already crossed the break-even point when two people worked together for a month. After that, you definitely keep money in your pocket. And the developers are happier too!

And once you have it, you suddenly realize it offers opportunities you were not aware of they existed before. Like going back to a previous version (for example the one that is in acceptance test) on instant, fix an issue there and almost with one click of the mouse go back to the current version and move on. Or find out who implemented that one great feature so you can give him or her the medal of honor of the programmer of the week!

I promised myself that next time they send me to a project where no proper version control is in place, I simply refuse saying that it's bad for my health. I advice you to do the same and tell your project manager I said so. I'm sure no further explanation will be needed.

(*) Actually, the saying 'having the memory of a gold fish' appears to do great injustice to this fellow creature. If it's true what they say at Goldfish pass memory test I would praise myself fortunate when I would have the memory of a gold fish.

Monday, August 28, 2006

Don't ever let me hear you say "non-functional" again

The other day I had I discussion with a colleague about what many people call "non-functional" requirements (as opposed to functional requirements), being requirements regarding performance, security and so on. This colleague argued that “non-functional” exactly expressed what these requirements are.

“OK”, I said. “Suppose you want to buy a car. Can you agree with me that its top speed is a non-functional requirement? Especially since normally any car can easily drive over 120 km/hour, which is the speed limit in Holland anyway, right?” “I agree that the top speed is a non-functional requirement, yes”, he replied. “So what you are saying here is that you might not even take a look at the specifications, but just assume that it can drive fast enough. But at the same time you would not take the car when it would not meet functional requirements like having a CD player, enough space to stow your kids and a sun-roof?”, I asked. “Yes”, he said, “that’s what I’m saying”.

“Now what if you are a sailor that happens to live in Munich but who sails from Kiel. Mind you, the distance between these two cities is about 700 km (435 miles). But fortunately - with the exception of a few spots - there is no speed limit in Germany! You have a lovely wife and you want to spend as much time with her as possible. Would you then have a look at its top speed?”, I asked. “Ermmm…”

The point I had made here is that what some people consider to be non-functional requirements could very well be a functional one to somebody else. Like logging would be a non-functional requirement for the average user, while an EDP auditor might have a totally different opinion about that.

So please stop using the term “non-functional”, people! In real life people say non-functional to something that does not work. It is confusing and imprecise, where the development of information systems is a very precise job. Use “supplementary requirements” instead. The only disadvantage I can think of is that I still have problems saying "supplementary requirements" without twisting my tongue.

Thursday, August 24, 2006

Blogito ergo sum

"I blog, therefore I am". Withouth having checked this, there is no doubt in my mind there are many bloggers that have used this phrase. So why am I using it?

Blogging as a phenomena has intrigued me ever since I'm aware of it's existence. Vain as I am, I can understand people blogging. But for a long time I failed to understand why people would bother to read them. Don't they have better things to do than read other people's whimsical thoughts, like a job or something? To tell you the truth, I still don't understand.

That is to say, with a few exceptions. There are a couple of blog's that I read once and a while. I won't give you names as I don't want to hurt the feelings of people that I will fail to mention. But most of them have one thing in common, which is that they are job related. In my case that means they have software development as main topic, especially where it concerns Oracle which is my current employer. And the bloggers themselves also have something in common, being that in their field they are somebody".

So, to give you a reason to read my blog during working hours and prevent you from getting fired on instant when your boss finds out about it, I promise I will keep this blog also job related. That is, when your job concerns software development, especially when the Oracle toolstack is involved in that. Somewhere.

And occasionaly I will share some whimsical thoughts with you. Hope you will forgive me.

Cheers!