Category Archives: Quality Software

Code Coverage — a simple Rails example

By Paul Barnes-Hoggett | Published: September 18, 2014

My tests are my safety net. With them I can refactor with confidence, knowing that I’m keeping the functionality I intended. With them, I can grow my codebase, knowing that I’m not introducing regression errors. How do I have confidence that my safety net is good enough? One metric I can use to help with this […]

Also posted in Agile Software Development, Continuous Integration, Engineering, Rails, Ruby, Software Craftsmanship, Test Driven Development | Leave a comment

Getting Growl notifications from your Virtual Machine

By Paul Barnes-Hoggett | Published: September 7, 2014

As I develop I have Guard running in the background, executing my tests when things change. But I often don’t have the Terminal window front and centre, so I like to have Growl notifications for my test results. Setting up Growl to push notifications from the Virtual Machine to the host is a little tricky, so here’s a […]

Also posted in Agile Software Development, Engineering, Rails, Ruby, Software Craftsmanship, Test Driven Development | 1 Response

Getting Started with Guard and RSpec

By Paul Barnes-Hoggett | Published: September 4, 2014
"Detroit Publishing Co. - A Yeoman of the Guard (N.B. actually a Yeoman Warder), full restoration" by Adam Cuerden, Detroit Publishing Company - http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2002696943/. Licensed under Public domain via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Detroit_Publishing_Co._-_A_Yeoman_of_the_Guard_(N.B._actually_a_Yeoman_Warder),_full_restoration.jpg#mediaviewer/File:Detroit_Publishing_Co._-_A_Yeoman_of_the_Guard_(N.B._actually_a_Yeoman_Warder),_full_restoration.jpg

As I build out an application I want to ensure it’s behaving as I intend it. RSpec is a great framework for testing Ruby code, and is the tool I use most for my testing. But tests are pretty useless if you don’t run them, and rather than manually run tests when I change things, […]

Also posted in Agile Software Development, Engineering, Rails, Ruby, Software Craftsmanship, Test Driven Development | 3 Responses

Performance – spend it wisely and never raise the debt ceiling

By Paul Barnes-Hoggett | Published: August 6, 2011

The US had it’s credit rating downgraded yesterday. For many people, it seems at first a little abstract and vaguely ominous—a chance for China to get it’s own back after being harangued by the US on its undervaluation of the Yuen. Maybe the outcome will be catastrophic, maybe not so much. Only time will tell. […]

Also posted in Engineering, Software Estimation | Leave a comment

Have you been hurt by code reuse? Learn from De Niro

By Paul Barnes-Hoggett | Published: July 6, 2011

Ever used someone else’s code; a library or sample app online? Ever got to a point where it’s been so mind-bendingly painful that you rue the day you ever found the stupid ‘library’ in the first place? If not then chances are you’re not a developer, you’re this guy, or you’re delusional. Spurred by a […]

Also posted in Software Craftsmanship, Test Driven Development | Leave a comment

Try this, my mini-application for software estimation

By Paul Barnes-Hoggett | Published: July 5, 2011

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about a simple yet powerful process for software estimation. When I was done I started to look at my excel worksheet for doing this process and figured that it could be something I could share with a broader audience. Rather than just post an excel file, I decided […]

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Software Estimation — A good simple way courtesy of the Navy and the cold war

By Paul Barnes-Hoggett | Published: June 19, 2011

In my last post I told you that your next project will take longer than you think. Now I’ve destroyed hope I’m going to show you how you can use this knowledge to be better at software estimation. We’re going to use a simple but very effective technique first developed by the Navy back in […]

Also posted in Software Estimation | 4 Responses

Your project will take longer than you think and less than a Nukem

By Paul Barnes-Hoggett | Published: June 16, 2011

I will tell you how long your next project will take to release. You won’t like it, but I’ll tell you. A game is launching this week and in the story of its development is the key to successful software estimation. The game is Duke Nukem Forever, and just like the title, it did pretty […]

Also posted in Software Estimation | 3 Responses

Making Quality Software: how to test non-functional requirements

By Paul Barnes-Hoggett | Published: June 10, 2011

In my last post, I outlined what I think are the twelve key constraints you need to think about if you are going to build high quality software that people want to use. As I mentioned, thinking through this needn’t be a mind sapping endeavour, and for some things you may just decide it’s not […]

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Making Quality Software: 12 non functional requirements every app should have.

By Paul Barnes-Hoggett | Published: June 7, 2011

When people talk about really great quality software, they usually think in terms of it’s utility, simplicity or aesthetics. But there’s more to it than that. A really great piece of software will bleed quality through and through like a piece of Brighton Rock (or Bognor Regis). What separates high quality software from mediocrity? It’s […]

Posted in Quality Software | 5 Responses