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Quest Software recently released JProbe 8.0, a Java code, memory, and coverage profiler. While JProbe has been one of the leading Java profiling tools since the late 1990's, JProbe 8.0 aims to help Quest regain the leadership position in the profiling market with new Eclipse integration and a more competitive price point.
Gallio is an automation platform targeting .NET test frameworks. Instead of each test framework creating its own toolset, including an automation API and test runner, Gallio seeks to provide a neutral, extensible platform with tools and automation services that can be leveraged by any test framework.
PartCover is beginning to fill the void left by NCover. Both SharpDevelop and TreeSurgeon have integrated PartCover to provide code coverage.
What is a developer's responsibility when a customer asks for a quick and dirty solution? Should they listen to the customer and take the short cut because, after all, they are paying the bill? Should they instead always do what is technically the "best" option in their opinion? Or is there a middle road that should be taken?
Larger team size prevents from adopting the whole range of language abstraction tools and puts constraints on productivity. Reg Braithwaite believes that tools should not be tuned to the size of the team. He advocates for building teams around the tools and keeping them small. It appears however that team growth is often inevitable. What can be done then to maintain quality and productivity?
A new certification for software developers that is neither about in depth knowledge of programming languages, nor any modelling and design techniques, was suggested by Reginald Braithwaite. Only one subject would be on the examination list - "Testing and quality control". Safety has to be the prerequisite to any software development job. For the rest marketplace will decide.
Amit Rathore questions the value of real time task based estimates in the planning and execution of software projects, taking a lean stance on what they bring to the software delivery party.
Technical debt can shorten a product's life. But when technical debt mounts, it can be difficult to see how to pay it off. In her StickyMinds column, Johanna Rothman explains practices to help teams start paying off that debt - thereby easing their product's development and maintenance for a long time.
