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Survey Results

What has the greatest positive impact on the long-term maintainability of a software product?   [Edit]

Survey period: 5 Nov 2007 to 10 Nov 2007

Producing a product that can be maintained and extended is never blind luck. (Suggested by Brian Kejser)

OptionVotes% 
Competent management19314.48
Accurate requirements19014.25
Talented developers33925.43
Ongoing developer training413.08
Regular code reviews13410.05
Documentation: Coding style1188.85
Documentation: Architecture25318.98
Other654.88

View optional text answers (55 answers)


 
GeneralTalented developer’s Pin
Cape Town Developer4-Nov-07 20:43
Cape Town Developer4-Nov-07 20:43 
GeneralRe: Talented developer’s Pin
Michael Sync4-Nov-07 21:02
Michael Sync4-Nov-07 21:02 
GeneralRe: Talented developer’s [modified] Pin
Cape Town Developer4-Nov-07 21:59
Cape Town Developer4-Nov-07 21:59 
GeneralRe: Talented developer’s Pin
LenaBr5-Nov-07 3:12
LenaBr5-Nov-07 3:12 
GeneralRe: Talented developer’s Pin
Cape Town Developer5-Nov-07 3:50
Cape Town Developer5-Nov-07 3:50 
GeneralRe: Talented developer’s Pin
Michael Sync5-Nov-07 15:05
Michael Sync5-Nov-07 15:05 
GeneralRe: Talented developer’s Pin
David Lane5-Nov-07 0:57
David Lane5-Nov-07 0:57 
GeneralRe: Talented developer’s Pin
jhwurmbach5-Nov-07 1:59
jhwurmbach5-Nov-07 1:59 
David Lane wrote:
With out good specs and requirements documentation the mos talanted developer is useless.


You can't say that in general.
Tight specs and requirements "brought down from mount Sinai" (meaning fixed and unalterable as if given by God himself) can kill any project.

Most of the time, the users do not know what they wand, end even less how they want it.
And how could they know?
They are just now coming up with their ideas. No one did this workflow before (or else your project would be a waste of time, as the users would be better off using the existing software).
Their ideas are naturally vague, sometimes ill devised and often without knowledge how much work a feature would cost.

Several iterations could be needed to get to know which workflows are feasible and desireable.
And that can not be thought out in advance.



Let's think the unthinkable, let's do the undoable, let's prepare to grapple with the ineffable itself, and see if we may not eff it after all.
Douglas Adams, "Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency"

GeneralTalented developers Pin
NormDroid4-Nov-07 20:40
professionalNormDroid4-Nov-07 20:40 
GeneralRe: Talented developers Pin
Nemanja Trifunovic5-Nov-07 1:46
Nemanja Trifunovic5-Nov-07 1:46 
GeneralRe: Talented developers Pin
jgehman5-Nov-07 4:13
jgehman5-Nov-07 4:13 

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