Making Software

We've all heard claims of tools, technologies and practices that "improve" software development. The majority of these claims are not based on evidence, but rather anecdote and opinion. For example, many programmers will state that their preferred programming language is more expressive, easier to learn tan others but when pressed can not back up their claim. DSLs are said to improve productivity but is there proof of this? Leading developers including Steve McConnell, Barry Boehm and Tom Ostrand uncover the truths and identify commonly believed myths in the software development community.

Contributions include:

• Walter Tichy answers the question: does using design patterns make code better?
• Tom Ostrand: where do bugs really come from?
• Steve McConnell: What do we know about productivity differences among working programmers?
• Laurie Williams: Is pair programming really more efficient?
• By understanding the difference between evidence-based facts and opinion based findings, programmers will be better equipped to determine what tools, technologies and best practices are right for their needs.

Themen:

• Softwareentwicklung