Easy Design Internet Info
Welcome to Easy Design Internet Info!

Internet Articles


A Time-Saving Programming Tactic that Doesn?t Work
By V. Berba Velasco Jr., Ph.D.


Let?s say that you have a software project that?s under severe time pressure. Let?s say that this deadline is so tight that you already know it will involve many late nights of black coffee and frenetic programming. What can you do to make this process go faster?

I honestly don?t know, since the correct answer will depend on one?s individual circumstances. However, I can tell you how many programmers do respond under such circumstances. They decide to save time by skipping over the software planning and design phase, and immediately start coding away.

To an inexperienced or otherwise undisciplined programmer, this seems to make sense. After all, the finished product is what truly matters, right? The customer doesn?t care about flowcharts, class diagrams or software architectures. All they want is something that works.

It seems to make sense, but it?s a foolhardy approach. That way lies madness. We?ve all heard that an ounce of planning is worth a pound of cure, but in the world of software development, this adage is often forgotten.

If a real estate developer needs to get a house built quickly, does he save time by skipping over the architectural design phase? Does he decide to dispense with blueprints, and just start laying down concrete? Of course not. He knows that the results would be chaotic, and that work will progress more slowly without careful forethought and a concrete plan.

Yet that?s the approach that many people take when it comes to software. They decide to just start coding away, thinking that this makes the software development process more efficient. On fairly simple projects, this might work. On anything of moderate complexity though, such an approach is doomed to fail. Sure, you may save time at first. However, without a concrete software plan and a carefully considered design, problems are bound to catch up with you before long. Many of these problems won?t become clear until the testing phase comes around, and by then, it may be too late.

Sadly, such reckless thinking is often encouraged in the corporate world. Due to time constraints, a misguided manager may instruct his team to skip over the design work and just start hacking away. This makes the team seem focused and productive, but this strategy can wreak havoc on the project timeline. What?s more, the resultant code is often a tangled, poorly documented, chaotic mess. If this software must be maintained for years to come, then you have a recipe for disaster.

Mind you, I?m not saying that an elaborate design is always necessary. If time is short, then one might not have the luxury of an intricate software plan with exhaustive design documentation. However, one should at least have a general software architecture laid out?one which is detailed enough to make the software development process smoother and easier. Programmers rarely err on the side of over-planning, but they frequently fall into the trap of insufficient design detail. Don?t make this mistake, if you really want to save time.

For more information about this article and/or the author visit http://www.immunospot.com

For more information, news and articles see:

Clive Roberts - Clive Roberts
...elop the invoice generation and notification for British Airways. Which used SQL2005 (tables, stored procedures, triggers); Reporting Services for the invoices; Notification service to sent the email;...
Visit Clive Roberts...

Advertising Agency Bristol - Advertising Agency Bristol
...t companies recognise the need to promote their goods and materials otherwise sales would slump and the business could be in trouble. An effective advertising campaign can work wonders for the health...
Visit Advertising Agency Bristol...

Web Design Harrogate - Web Design Harrogate
...She has been looking for a new job doing web design harrogatefor some time now and she considers herself really lucky to have found the perfect job. She is obviously very talented at her work and alt...
Visit Web Design Harrogate...

Design Agency Manchester - Design Agency Manchester
...the past 2 years and when you first started up in business it was just what you needed to give you an immediate online presence. That was then and this is now, a few years down the line, and the time...
Visit Design Agency Manchester...

Web Design Manchester - Web Design Manchester
...quickly as possible so that sales can quickly take an upward spiral. Making your presence felt isn`t always that easy though and a great place to start will be your company`s website. As a startup bu...
Visit Web Design Manchester...

Website Design York - Website Design York
...et into website design Yorkfor a long time but he always felt that no decent firm would look at him because he did not have enough experience. However, although he is lacking in experience, my brothe...
Visit Website Design York...

Website Design Bristol - Website Design Bristol
...ay that your web pages look or do they lack a certain web presence? Has the site looked the same for the best part of a decade and could you be found guilty of not moving with the times? You could be...
Visit Website Design Bristol...

Software Engineer - Software Engineer
...er covers all phases of software development, support and management and particularly focuses on a methodical approach to the error-free design and building of software. A Software Engineer will devel...
Visit Software Engineer...


Click For More Detailed Information on:
hot technological to you ::free study for you ::my science for you ::your tech science ::big study store

Home  |  About Us  |  Contact Us  |  Articles  |  Special Reports  |  Links  |  Site Map

Copyright © 2003-2010. All Rights Reserved.


Valid CSS!