Product Description

"Coming of age for software developers means understanding that software is a cooperative effort, not something individuals do in isolation. This is a book that teams of software developers can thrive upon, full of sensible advice for a cooperative development approach."

--Tom DeMarco, The Atlantic Systems Guild

Software development paradigms are shifting. The development group's "team" ability, and the effects of the individual developer, become more important as organizations recognize that the traditional approach of increasing process pressure and overworking team members is not meeting getting the job done. The pioneers of Agile methodologies question the preconceived processes within which development teams work. Rather than adding to the burden of the individual developer, Agile asks "how can we change the process so that the team is more productive, while also improving quality?" The answer is in learning to play the "game."

Written for developers and project managers, Agile Software Development compares software development to a game. Team members play the game knowing that the ultimate goal is to win--always remembering what they have learned along the way, and always keeping in mind that they will never play the same way twice. Players must keep an open mind to different methodologies, and focus on the goal of developing quality software in a short cycle time.

Based on a decade's work and research, and interviews with software project teams, this book presents sound advice for bringing difficult projects to successful conclusion with a minimum of stress. It includes advice on:

• The principals behind agile methodologies
• Which methodologies fit different projects--including appendixes to select the appropriate methodology on a project
• New vocabulary for describing methodologies
• Just-in-time methodology tuning
• Managing the incompleteness of communication
• Continuous methodology reinvention
• The manifesto for agile software development

Today's software developers need to recognize that they have a number of methodologies to choose from. With this book as a guide, they can break free of nonproductive habits, move beyond old routines, and clear a new path to success.

0201699699B09142001

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #345643 in Books
• Published on: 2001-10-29
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 304 pages

From the Back Cover

"Coming of age for software developers means understanding that software is a cooperative effort, not something individuals do in isolation. This is a book that teams of software developers can thrive upon, full of sensible advice for a cooperative development approach."

--Tom DeMarco, The Atlantic Systems Guild

Software development paradigms are shifting. The development group's "team" ability, and the effects of the individual developer, become more important as organizations recognize that the traditional approach of increasing process pressure and overworking team members is not meeting getting the job done. The pioneers of Agile methodologies question the preconceived processes within which development teams work. Rather than adding to the burden of the individual developer, Agile asks "how can we change the process so that the team is more productive, while also improving quality?" The answer is in learning to play the "game."

Written for developers and project managers, Agile Software Development compares software development to a game. Team members play the game knowing that the ultimate goal is to win--always remembering what they have learned along the way, and always keeping in mind that they will never play the same way twice. Players must keep an open mind to different methodologies, and focus on the goal of developing quality software in a short cycle time.

Based on a decade's work and research, and interviews with software project teams, this book presents sound advice for bringing difficult projects to successful conclusion with a minimum of stress. It includes advice on:

• The principals behind agile methodologies
• Which methodologies fit different projects--including appendixes to select the appropriate methodology on a project
• New vocabulary for describing methodologies
• Just-in-time methodology tuning
• Managing the incompleteness of communication
• Continuous methodology reinvention
• The manifesto for agile software development

Today's software developers need to recognize that they have a number of methodologies to choose from. With this book as a guide, they can break free of nonproductive habits, move beyond old routines, and clear a new path to success.

0201699699B09142001

About the Author

Alistair Cockburn is a recognized expert on use cases. He is consulting fellow at Humans and Technology, where he is responsible for helping clients succeed with object-oriented projects. He has more than twenty years of experience leading projects in hardware and software development in insurance, retail, and e-commerce companies and in large organizations such as the Central Bank of Norway and IBM.

0201699699AB07302002

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Customer Reviews

Great book about 'people'
This book, despite it's title, is something more than just a book about software development. It provides valuable information about software development teams, how to improve communications among individuals, and gives great hints about choosing the most suitable software process. Basically it covers almost everything needed to complete a project in a successfull way. This book should be a 'must read' for developers and experienced project managers too.

Sound methods for improving software development
Cockburn has a very succinct style with clear illustrations to support his explanations that I have re-used in my presentations (along with others in his other books). This book focuses on Cockburn's observations and interviews about what makes projects successful and covers working environments, communication, team dynamics and collaborative working methods. He explains the building blocks of software methodologies and what makes some work more than others and explains why one methodology does not fit all projects and how and where each one must be shaped to fit the size of the project. This book has some of my favourite quotes including, "Documentation is the worst form of communication".

Another (of the few) Ah-hah books!
For anyone who wishes to understand how projects and teams _really_ work - whether you're a junior member, senior member or manager.
The insights into behaviour and good practice are wonderful - they gave me a vocabulary to discuss fairly abstract concepts.
It is _not_ prescriptive - there are no answers.