For the first time...

...in my life I am actually afraid to change code.

I've been given a task. A simple task:

• add a column to a database table (in dev)
• update the code where that table is queried and inserted into to account for the new column

The rub? There are no existing tests. I have no idea of the current functionality of this code. That means I'll no idea if I've broken existing functionality...

Another win for best practices and another loss for my new job. Unit tests and TDD go a long way to help any, and I mean ALMOST ANY, new member of your team add value to the current system.

No need to worry though, I've been assured by the lead on this that :

Don't worry! It will go to test before it is released!

Why do I not feel any better?

Until next time
Les

Dave Nicolette on InfoQ: A Case for Short Iterations

Dave talks about short iterations:

...the discipline of working in timeboxed iterations is the source of some of the value-add of the agile approach, including frequent and regularly-scheduled demonstrations and retrospectives, a consistent schedule for delivering incremental results, frequent opportunities for customer feedback, and the sense of a "heartbeat" or "pulse" that seems to keep teams engaged over the long haul. [http://www.infoq.com/articles/short-iterations-argument]

I for one enjoyed 1 week iterations vs. the 3 week blocks I did before that. The main benefit I saw was focus and better prioritization.

The necessity of a daily stand-up.

I'm not Certified Scrum Master. I'm not an experienced project manager. I haven't even officially led any team. And honestly other than a short few months at my last place of employment I never really even practiced all-out-scrum.

One thing we did do was a daily stand-up. This daily stand-up was what we called scrum and for the most part that is what scrum is around here. Well here at my new place (the government contract) there are myths of scrum floating around but there is no physical manifestation of it whatsoever. Heck, I had a fellow developer tell me today that their team actaully has a daily stand-up, but he sorta said it through a smile and didn't make eye contact.

What's the big deal? That's probably what you're thinking.

Let me explain.

I've been on-site and billable for about 3 weeks now. I haven't seen any sort of project plan whatsoever. I haven't been given any idea of what our current short-term (iteration) goal is. All I've been told is that there is a trunk and two branches that are being worked on and we plan to get both of the branches merged back into the head.... big freakin' deal.

I'm lost. I've got no direction and no idea what direction the team is going much less any form of idea of WHO is my TEAM in the first place...

And all that to say if they only had some sort of daily stand-up, call it scrum if it makes you feel at home, but some sort of regular, daily, brief progress meeting to give people (especially the new guy) some inkling of an idea of what the heck is going on.

Like I said, I'm no CSM, but I'm going to try and get some form of daily stand-up going. Even if it's just with my leads. And who knows, maybe I'll end up taking it further and getting a backlog defined and prioritized... but that is for another post.

Until next time
Les

Ready for take-off...

...3...2...1

I have just begun a new job working on a government contract as a software developer. The process is very rigid as you might expect from the gov. There have been claims of the use of Scrum but if Scrum is here it's an elusive creature and really I'm afraid that if I've really missed it for these past few weeks then it's bound to jump out from it's hiding place at any moment and maul me to death.

But no, I have not worry of such things. Scrum is not here, nor is any form of Agile software development as far as I can see. RUP is the government approved standard and really it should be renamed to the Rigid Unproductive Process because it sure as heck doesn't seem rational to me and unified is a further stretch with the seemingly endless numbers of silos of expertise, turf politics and the like.

So this new blog of mine will be a place where I place my thoughts and devise my plans for trying to add value to this place. This blog is a pet project. I don't expect to change the world, I'd just like to take strides (even small ones) in order to change my world.

until next time
Les