Software Development: Difference between revisions

Line 7:

One of the biggest challenges for anyone working on software is [[wp:Software development effort estimation]].

I used to use a tool by David Wheeler called '[https://dwheeler.com/sloccount/ SLOCCount]' (Software Lines Of Code Count), but it had fallen out of maintenance after 2004 . Eric Raymond [http://esr.ibiblio.org/?p=8270 wrote about this] as he wrote a replacement in [[Go]] in 2019. A more recent similar tool is Ben Boyter's [~~https://github.com/boyter/scc~~ SCC]

I used to use a tool by David Wheeler called '[https://dwheeler.com/sloccount/ SLOCCount]' (Software Lines Of Code Count), but it had fallen out of maintenance after 2004 . Eric Raymond [http://esr.ibiblio.org/?p=8270 wrote about this] as he wrote a replacement in [[Golang]] in 2019. A more recent similar tool is Ben Boyter's [[SCC]]

I can't talk about "Lines of Code" without mentioning that writing software is NOT measured by the number of lines of code you produce! Lines of Code is one of many metrics<ref>Lines of Code is a metric that ~~is simple enough for~~ a ~~pointy-haired boss to understand, in it's simplest definition~~. Sadly, advanced software engineering concepts like ~~Cyclomatic Complexity are way over their heads; and worse, not used at most/many organizations who employ buzzwords like~~ "lean" and "agile" to appeal to finance ~~rather than to define~~ the rigors and professionalism of their software process. To ~~dive down into this one step further: for true practitioners~~, '''[https://davenicolette.wordpress.com/2016/05/19/where-agile-goes-to-die/ agile is about results]'''. For people who've never actually learned it, ''agile is about rules''.</ref>. It can be extremely valuable to '''remove''' code~~, so that~~ should help make the point. ~~If you still don't get it you're lost.~~ Consider: Less code equals less to audit. Less code equals less attack surface. ~~One useful metric is [[wp:cyclomatic complexity]]~~

I can't talk about "Lines of Code" without mentioning that writing software is NOT measured by the number of lines of code you produce! Lines of Code is one of many metrics<ref>Lines of Code is a simple "talking point" metric so that often makes it into a conversation. Sadly, there are too many organizations that ignore any other metrics or ("advanced") software engineering concepts like [[wp:cyclomatic complexity]]. Every organization calls themselves "lean" and "agile" as talking points to appeal to finance and management but the claim says nothing about the rigors and professionalism of their software process. To actually understand "agile", try reading something like '''[https://davenicolette.wordpress.com/2016/05/19/where-agile-goes-to-die/ agile is about results]'''. He says: (For people who've never actually learned it,) ''agile is about rules''.</ref>. It can be extremely valuable to '''remove''' code. "Lines of code removed" is a '''very''' useful metric. That should help make the point. Consider: Less code equals less to audit. Less code equals less attack surface.

== Code Quality ==

@@ Line 7: / Line 7: @@
 One of the biggest challenges for anyone working on software is [[wp:Software development effort estimation]].
-I used to use a tool by David Wheeler called '[https://dwheeler.com/sloccount/ SLOCCount]' (Software Lines Of Code Count), but it had fallen out of maintenance after 2004 . Eric Raymond [http://esr.ibiblio.org/?p=8270 wrote about this] as he wrote a replacement in [[Go]] in 2019.  A more recent similar tool is Ben Boyter's [https://github.com/boyter/scc SCC]
+I used to use a tool by David Wheeler called '[https://dwheeler.com/sloccount/ SLOCCount]' (Software Lines Of Code Count), but it had fallen out of maintenance after 2004 . Eric Raymond [http://esr.ibiblio.org/?p=8270 wrote about this] as he wrote a replacement in [[Golang]] in 2019.  A more recent similar tool is Ben Boyter's [[SCC]]
-I can't talk about "Lines of Code" without mentioning that writing software is NOT measured by the number of lines of code you produce! Lines of Code is one of many metrics<ref>Lines of Code is a metric that is simple enough for a pointy-haired boss to understand, in it's simplest definition. Sadly, advanced software engineering concepts like Cyclomatic Complexity are way over their heads; and worse, not used at most/many organizations who employ buzzwords like "lean" and "agile" to appeal to finance rather than to define the rigors and professionalism of their software process. To dive down into this one step further: for true practitioners, '''[https://davenicolette.wordpress.com/2016/05/19/where-agile-goes-to-die/ agile is about results]'''. For people who've never actually learned it, ''agile is about rules''.</ref>. It can be extremely valuable to '''remove''' code, so that should help make the point. If you still don't get it you're lost. Consider: Less code equals less to audit. Less code equals less attack surface. One useful metric is [[wp:cyclomatic complexity]]
+I can't talk about "Lines of Code" without mentioning that writing software is NOT measured by the number of lines of code you produce! Lines of Code is one of many metrics<ref>Lines of Code is a simple "talking point" metric so that often makes it into a conversation. Sadly, there are too many organizations that ignore any other metrics or ("advanced") software engineering concepts like [[wp:cyclomatic complexity]]. Every organization calls themselves "lean" and "agile" as talking points to appeal to finance and management but the claim says nothing about the rigors and professionalism of their software process. To actually understand "agile", try reading something like '''[https://davenicolette.wordpress.com/2016/05/19/where-agile-goes-to-die/ agile is about results]'''. He says: (For people who've never actually learned it,) ''agile is about rules''.</ref>. It can be extremely valuable to '''remove''' code. "Lines of code removed" is a '''very''' useful metric. That should help make the point.  Consider: Less code equals less to audit. Less code equals less attack surface.
 == Code Quality ==