Software Factory Package

We've been trying to implement Joel's Test, and have a bug control/activity control/spec workflow/project planning/build server system in place. For each I'm finding a different solution. I dunno how, it possible, we will integrate them later.

Is there a packaged solution that covers, if not all, most of the above? A software factory automation kit?

Mauricio Macedo
Tuesday, November 11, 2003

Someone's working a team-oriented web based spec / scheduling app ;-)  Release date TBD. 

Tuesday, November 11, 2003

There's a reason someone coined the phrase "Jack of all trades, master of none." Try to do everything, and you'll end up with software that is mediocre at many things (which see: Rational)

Choose the best package for each area. Try to find applications built by companies or communities that have professional developers in mind and work together (CVS, FogBugz, NAnt, etc)

Philo

Philo
Tuesday, November 11, 2003

Hold a second, Philo. Just because no one *has* done it well in one piece doesn't mean it can't be. It *may* mean it won't be, but it definately doesn't mean it can't be.

I used to say that about video cards: The early 3dfx Voodoo line were all piggy-back cards, and at the time the only viable 3D gaming solution. So of course it was better done with 2D and 3D seperate, because no one has combined the two well yet! Of course, that all changed fast.

I don't know what would do the job well, but I must take issue with saying that it can't be done well. Any job can be done well. That doesn't mean it'll be cheap, or worth it at all. But it *can* be done.

Mike Swieton
Wednesday, November 12, 2003

I'd second what Mike said. Besides which you might well want some of these things integrated.

1. Get a bug report in bug system and validate that it is a bug
2. Estimate how long to fix, feed this into project plan
3. Check out files
4. ?
5. Check changed files back in
5a. bug in reporting system is "Ready to test"
5b. project plan updated with actual effort

It all hangs together. For example when I check in the files 5a & b could be done, if not automatically, at least via the same UI instead of making me change to two different systems.

Since there are actually more steps involved than I showed above, something to keep the process together would be very useful indeed.

Wednesday, November 12, 2003

By the way, to the other pseudo anonymous person - is there somewhere where one could look at this software which someone is making? Ta.

Wednesday, November 12, 2003

I'm doing exactly what Philo recommended, looking for a good solution for each problem. But I KNOW it will be a PITA, if ever possible, to integrate them all. It's like SAP. Of course you could get 10 specialized modules, for finance, supplies, sales, et al. But even if they are all the best on market, you will hardly have all the integration powerfulness that SAP provides. With specialized products it's hard to keep the "flow". And it'd hardly pressed to call SAP jack of all trades.

Mauricio Macedo
Wednesday, November 12, 2003

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