If you want to learn how to develop software, read this

This web site is dedicated to the black art of developing integrated software in a project setting.

What's so tough about that?

Most companies have legacy [1] software that is critical to their business operations, and which can not be changed, removed, or even replaced without careful planning. Even to add something new will require cooperating with the software that currently exists (especially the data that currently exists), and that effort requires a project setting.

Use an agile approach and it'll be easy!

All the agile techniques are fine, and I encourage you to use them. You can even use waterfall, and I won't condemn you. Regardless, you'll be dealing with more than one person, and that requires a project-based model, and to write down what it is you intend to build with the software (i.e., requirements). That's where this website steps in.

There are tons of books out there that explain how to build software. Why read this schlock?

What you'll read here has to do with the subtleties of the simple things that usually are not written down. It is my intention to document the lessons learned over two decades of working in corporate settings on difficult projects with pain-in-the ass customers, managers, and teammates.

What You'll Find Here

The four horsemen of this apocalypse are:

• Project Management,
• Business Analysis,
• Requirements Management, and
• Programming

The last one, Programming, can, in fact be any language, but Python happens to be my favorite and the one I'll discuss most frequently, except for an occasional reminiscence about Fortran, Pascal, or Visual Basic. For the record, I have done most of my professional programming with Visual Basic connected to an Oracle database. I consider myself an expert in Oracle's PL/SQL (I think because it is derived from PL/1 and is so very like Pascal) but once you've learned one SQL database, you've learned them all. And once you learn SQLObject you don't need to know SQL at all. But I digress.

These topics are my domains of interest and expertise. That may sound like a lot to have as expertise but, of course, they are all mastered in the course of any decent systems development life cycle (SDLC).

So this also includes a discussion of SDLC, which is something you have whether or not you're aware of it. It is best, then, to be aware, and to use its existence to your advantage.

If you have suggestions, comments, or questions, please visit the About Me page for the contact information.