Tagged Questions

7
votes
2answers
245 views

What is the preferred method for an application to get settings which should not be stored in version control?

Let's say an application I'm writing requires a password for something but I don't want that password to be saved in version control (so no hard-coding the password). What I've been doing is creating ...
2
votes
2answers
104 views

Architecting related products for different markets: MEF?

Hopefully, this question is not too open-ended... I have been tasked with taking a 3 year old application (.NET 4.0, WPF, WCF, EF 4, SQL 2008) that was designed for a very specific market X and ...
12
votes
2answers
433 views

Build one to throw away vs Second-system effect

On one hand there is an advice that says "Build one to throw away". Only after finishing a software system and seeing the end product we realize what went wrong in the design phase and understand how ...
2
votes
1answer
174 views

Steps to manage a large project [closed]

Software development is an area where parallel development to its fullest form is very difficult to achieve, although you could get reasonably close with the right design. This is especially true for ...
3
votes
5answers
268 views

How to visualize the design of a program in order to communicate it to others

I am (re-)designing some packages for R, and I am currently working out the necessary functions, objects, both internal and for the interface with the user. I have documented the individual functions ...
3
votes
3answers
358 views

Where can I hire local programmers with very specific skillsets? [duplicate]

I have been browsing the site and haven't found a exact fit to this question so I'll post it but if its already answered(since I'm sure its a common problem, then let me know). I have a business and ...
6
votes
3answers
341 views

How can I get better at explaining complex software processes to developers?

I'm really struggling with my software specs. I am not a professional programmer but enjoy doing it for fun and made some software that I want to sell later but I'm not happy with the code quality. ...
5
votes
3answers
381 views

What should be the minimal design/scope documentation before development begins?

I am a junior developer working on my own in the programming aspect of projects. I am given a png file with 5-6 of the pages designed, most times in specific detail. From this I'm asked to develop ...
1
vote
1answer
137 views

What are some general guidelines for setting up an iOS project I will want to personally publish but sell in the future?

I have an idea for a personal iOS project that I would like to write and release to the iOS store. I'm the type of developer who enjoys developing and publishing. I want to write quality software ...
6
votes
1answer
165 views

What is the best way to approach visualization projects?

I work on several areas related to information visualization, linked data, computer vision and other stuff, so mainly front-end. I am not really happy with the fact that visualizations take lots of ...
14
votes
7answers
388 views

Are there general rules or best practices for building a new framework?

I need to start the design and development of a new framework to interact with an open source ECM. This inludes a customized data model to help web site developers interacting with this ECM, so they ...
11
votes
2answers
306 views

Intelligence as a vector quantity

I am reading this wonderful book called "Coders at Work: Reflections on the Craft of Programming" by Peter Seibel and I am at part wherein the conversation is with Joshua Bloch and I found this answer ...
0
votes
2answers
216 views

What should I do when my project manager does not care about implementation details?

My project manager, when providing requirements for specific tasks, does not care about the implementation details. Although he has a programming background and has some knowledge of the MVC ...
2
votes
3answers
193 views

Steps to take to create the Product Backlog for starting our project with Scrum

A small team (3 or 4) are working on a fairly big project that might take 1 year to complete. We are basically re-designing an existing software (that had been developer over 5-6 years while being ...
5
votes
5answers
2k views

What to plan before starting development on a project?

Say I've received the specs for a project from a client, and now its time to start developing it. Normally, I just start with the first module (usually user registration) and then go from one module ...
1
vote
6answers
130 views

Best opinion to give a potential client

I have a friend that works for a company. They use a software product that is aged, and written in Delphi. There are concerns at this company about the life of the software company that provides the ...
12
votes
11answers
781 views

How to explain bad software to non-technical people?

In discussing software development with non-technical people (customers, business owners, project sponsors, etc.), I often resort to analogies and metaphors. It's relatively easy and effective to use ...
16
votes
12answers
1k views

Dealing with bad/incomplete/unclear specifications?

I'm working on a project where our dev team gets the specifications from the business part of the company. Both the business management and the IT management require estimates and deadline ...