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The Mythical Man-Month by Frederick Brooks
Caveat Emptor.
"Progress doesn't come from early risers – progress is made by lazy men looking for easier ways to do things." Lazarus Long
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The Mythical Man-Month by Frederick Brooks.......................
Caveat Emptor.
"Progress doesn't come from early risers – progress is made by lazy men looking for easier ways to do things." Lazarus Long
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UML. I know everyones' brains just melted.
Think about ANY project. There are certain things you need to know, but how do you capture those things?
Okay, let's create a basic list that EVERY project will need.
1. You need to know your target / goal. These are your requirements. -- Requirements list
2. You need to see how these requirements group up to create a complete system to quickly assess if the things the stakeholders want seem to be in there.. -- Use Case diagrams
3. You need to show stakeholders in a common (ubiquitous) language that they understand and you understand that you have captured the things that they want. -- Use Case diagrams
4. You need a way to begin to turn the requirements into software -- Domain Model : a middle ground between stakeholders and software developers. It uses language that stakeholder (business people) understand and can be turned into software design and code easily (class diagrams and database schemas). Domain model just groups up the things in the system.
5. Business Flow / Activity diagrams which show the basics of the actions that a system will take. Again using language which stakeholders understand to quickly show what the system will do.
6. Class diagrams which show the domain objects (business objects) that the system is broken into so developers can break up the functionality and work on pieces together
7. database schemas which show where these business objects will save their data.
If you really had those basic things, then you could begin to create the minimum viable product.
And then you could gather more feedback about places you are missing functionality (missed requirements) so you can iteratively add the things so you don't get to the end with so many misses.
Use Enterprise Architect[^] to create your UML diagrams.
Why Diagrams?
You simply create diagrams because pictures are easier to quickly communicate -- before all your stakeholder's eyes glaze over from boredom in your meetings.
How Do You Really Start?
1. Take your requirements -- I hope you have at least a few -- and read them and look for every noun. Take each noun and write it on a sticky note. These are CANDIDATE CLASSES (and properties). Probably the person who asked for the software used similar words and you'll see things repeat.
2. Do the same thing but this time pull out verbs -- These are candidates for functionality. Put each on a different color sticky.
These are some simple things to try and an bit of organized way to think. Consider it and see if it might help you get a better grasp for starting.
modified 17-Sep-16 14:56pm.
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Ask your project manager, or supervisor, what you should be working on, and take the initiative to learn what tools are in use where you work, and get busy learning how to use them. Ask your developer peers to guide you in terms of where, and what, you need to study in order to become productive, asap.
Start studying the source code of the project(s) you are working on.
This post is a form of "wistful moon-gazing" that will get you ... nowhere, but ... unemployed.
and, good luck, Bill
«There is a spectrum, from "clearly desirable behaviour," to "possibly dodgy behavior that still makes some sense," to "clearly undesirable behavior." We try to make the latter into warnings or, better, errors. But stuff that is in the middle category you don’t want to restrict unless there is a clear way to work around it.» Eric Lippert, May 14, 2008
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Currently, I am working in a startup company and here I have to do everything by myself and getting direct requirements and instructions from the CEO.
I am eager to learn and always looking for the things that I can read and that can be helpful in my software developer career. But what If I am totally going into wrong direction.
I am just asking this question because I want to improve my knowledge and as I am a starter in software development industry. I just need to keep up myself updated with the technology that I am using.
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Go look at the current source code (hopefully, there is some ?); study the source control system (hopefully, there is one ?).
I find it hard to believe there's no document of some kind describing what you are working on, a list of functional requirements, etc. I seriously doubt when you were hired that someone didn't discuss with you what you will be doing.
good luck, Bill
«There is a spectrum, from "clearly desirable behaviour," to "possibly dodgy behavior that still makes some sense," to "clearly undesirable behavior." We try to make the latter into warnings or, better, errors. But stuff that is in the middle category you don’t want to restrict unless there is a clear way to work around it.» Eric Lippert, May 14, 2008
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Shahzad Mirza wrote: Currently, I am working in a startup company and here I have to do everything by myself and getting direct requirements and instructions from the CEO.
I think you may have bitten off more than you can chew[^]. I second Marc's suggestion to inform the CEO that you're not the right person for the job. You could probably continue to be work at the company if you had someone with more experience to guide you. Good luck! 
/ravi
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Shahzad Mirza wrote: I am new in development just recently completed my bachelors
Purely out of interest, what on earth did you learn on your degree course?
The idea of it is that it teaches you to do all those things, so you are prepared when you get to the market.
The only way I can see that you'd have no idea how to start with any of those things are the end of an IT degree course is if you copied all your homework from the internet instead of doing any of it! 
So pretend it's a homework assignment and think about how you'd start that, what documentation you'd have to hand in, and so forth.
Then fit that to whatever the company normally expects from other developers and get started...
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
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Are you talking about personal projects? If you are working, your employer has all the answers to your questions. If they are letting a new hire (no offence) make these kind of decisions, you might be in over your head! Find a mentor fast! Oh, and good luck!  .
Edited after reading responses about your employment situation:
I was in the same position 17 years ago, the first hire for a startup, lugging a crt monitor and tower to the boss's house every day. (until I got my first laptop!)
My boss (now an equal partner) has always been one to paint in broad strokes, simply stating what a screen or program should do and leaving the design and details up for interpretation. If you are free to choose the language and toolset, use something that you are familiar with. For documentation, there's probably plenty of free tools, but nothing says you can't use something simple (and reusable) like straight-up html or a simple homespun CMS.
The only other advice I have is to learn the business of your audience. Check out what your competition is doing and try to learn from them.
"Go forth into the source" - Neal Morse
modified 17-Sep-16 13:29pm.
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Shahzad Mirza wrote: - How can we select which language to use for which type of project?
Each language has its own strengths, weaknesses and limitations. You can't program a device-driver for Win10 in VB6, for example.
Shahzad Mirza wrote: - Is it really important to make a template for a web project in start?
No, but it explains the number of templates out there.
Shahzad Mirza wrote: - I have to document everything of my project
Yes. In case you get hit by a meteorite, someone else has to be able to understand what you were doing. If you know what you are doing, you can explain that.
Shahzad Mirza wrote: - Is there any proper format for documenting the software project?
By "proper" you'd mean a fill-in-the-gaps kinda thing. Simple answer; no.
Shahzad Mirza wrote: - What type of risk may I have in software project?
Everything that you depend on is a risc.
Shahzad Mirza wrote: I am new in development just recently completed my bachelors
There was this recent thread on degrees that I remember 
Bastard Programmer from Hell 
If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^]
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As others have said, you don't have the experience to do the job properly. Not your fault, the startup is looking for the cheapest way to get the coding done.
You should highlight this shortcoming in their thinking, if you continue in the position the company stands to get a badly designed/structured solution that will probably take much longer to bring to market as you will be learning all the pitfalls that a more experienced developer will know to avoid.
Never underestimate the power of human stupidity
RAH
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Shahzad Mirza wrote: How can we select which language to use for which type of project?
C#, C++, Java.
1) You can hire people without paying too much
2) The tools for these are vastly superior
3) The libraries for these are vastly superior
IF you need high performance/scalability/consistancy, use C++.
Shahzad Mirza wrote: What type of risk may I have in software project?
That you spend five years and five million dollars and have it completely fail.
Or, you have a great idea and everything is going great, then management sticks their noses in and messes it all up.
Or, you hire someone who claims to have experience and they don't.
And so on.
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Well, yes, I exaggerate: compared to the psychic donnybrooks of previous installs which have left me with scars in the shapes of the various Windows Logos, the Win10 upgrade over 8.1 has really been pain-free. Today, I set out to replace the 8+ year-old Radeon graphic card with the new wonder, an MSI 1060 6gb OC, that I was able to obtain here for about US $30 over the going cheapo mail-order rate in the US ... given the premium on these cards here in Amazing Thailand (believe it or not, we got a lot of Thai gamers with discretionary income here who have no problem laying down three months salary of a construction worker for the latest go-faster), that was a very good deal .... (why does NewEgg show a price for this MSI card nearly US $90 over the other cheapo venues ?).
From rapture to reality:
Today, I chose to go into safe mode (via mscofig) to remove the AMD graphic card drivers and associated files and registry keys using a neat little free utility "Display Driver Uninstaller," which can unistall Intel, AMD, and nVidia packages:[^].
So, me goes to "Safe Mode," which I have re-named HIM ("Held Incommunicado Mode"). And, wouldn't you know, the drivers for my fancy-schmancy LogiTech 910 kb and 602 mouse didn't load, and, so, I couldn't do a damn thing in safe mode but look at icons I couldn't click on a black screen. Even doing a system restore did not get me out of safe-mode.
Finally, I decided to unplug the LogiTech devices and plug-in my old non-fancy kb and mouse. At last, I was able to click and type, and get out of HIM mode. But, if I hadn't had my old kb and mouse layin' about, I would have been in real trouble.
The art of the deal (?)
As in many other situations here in the Land of Smiles, showing up with cash as the store was about to close was effective: let's say I saved about US $25 over the mail-order price from the Thai somewhat-equivalent to Amazon on-line shop [Lazada.co.th]. But, here, US $25 translates into about 925 baht, and with fresh soy-milk at 5 baht per 350 ml., that's 185 bags of the joy-juice-of-the-gods, and that's almost half my diet for maybe six-weeks. Capiche ?
And, now, into the breech that may be next level of a Dantean Hell: installing the new graphic card and getting it set-up with this beast of a 4k teevee to try and help me eyes see mo' bettah.
cheers, Bill
p.s. I think you may be thinking, now, that I am one lucky old dog to be fiddlin' with such fresh bacon as these somewhat high-end components, and, if I'm so "frugal," and not a gamer, what I'm doin'.
Part of the reason is: I hope, when I resell this system, it will have more value than if I replace the old stuff that needs to be replace with cheapo; and, I do anticipate re-selling if I leave the country in the next four months. Another reason, is that I've had someone who owed me some moolah for some time surprise me by paying me in full. But, as you may surmise, the real reason is I just like "hot gear," even if I don't use half its capacity. Some people like fast cars, I like a solid mid-range bicycle, a good back-pack, and a computer whose innards are not ten years old.
I suspect that on this Forum I do not need to present any rationalization for "hardware lust."
«There is a spectrum, from "clearly desirable behaviour," to "possibly dodgy behavior that still makes some sense," to "clearly undesirable behavior." We try to make the latter into warnings or, better, errors. But stuff that is in the middle category you don’t want to restrict unless there is a clear way to work around it.» Eric Lippert, May 14, 2008
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BillWoodruff wrote: if I leave the country in the next four months.
Where are you thinking of going?
Marc
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Well, this is fun. I installed build 14926 on my Lumia 640 phone earlier this afternoon, and it's been rebooting every 10 minutes (with predictable accuracy) ever since--just letting it sit there at the start screen.
Tried using the Feedback hub to report this, but the onscreen keyboard doesn't appear - the best I can do is send a low-rated complaint about the build, but with no comment.
[Edit]
If I want to revert back to the previous version, then in order to do a reset, I have to enter my password to get the process started...which I can't do, since the keyboard doesn't show up.
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Another reason I like my Blackberry Passport. A hardware keyboard!
- I would love to change the world, but they won’t give me the source code.
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How am I supposed to make self-deprecating comments about my Windows Phone when you show up here with a Blackberry?? 
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The pecking order is obvious when a Blackberry user can mock your phone
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cheers
Chris Maunder
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That's ok, my Blackberry Playbook tablet makes up for that. No, wait...
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Golly.
That's the 2016 version of "Have you tried formatting the hard drive and re-installing windows?"
Plus ça Change...
I wanna be a eunuchs developer! Pass me a bread knife!
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I don't mind resetting/losing everything. This is a phone I'm using for development and testing only - hence the reason I let it install an Insider build in the first place.
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You really shouldn't have said that.
What'll happen now is that, ten minutes after resetting it, you'll have an "Oh Sh1t!" moment.
Don't tempt Murphy, because he always wins.
I wanna be a eunuchs developer! Pass me a bread knife!
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