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Advanced Call Center Software: A Computer Answering Machine
Let’s accept the fact that the movement in technology is the main concern of most industries nowadays. The emergence of most advanced software whether it is a system, application, or a user software lead to a booming notion in the field of science...
"Email Crush!"
Analysts predict that the volume of email on the Internet, most of it junk, will grow another 50 percent in 2002. That is a lot of email! With estimates that the number of Internet users is nearing the 1 billion mark, the amount of email...
Understanding Web Logs and Why it Matters
General web statistics give pertinent information about website visitors. Webmasters analyzing these statistics have a better understanding of who their website visitors are and how they perceive the website. A lot can be learned by evaluating...
What is the A Great Portal website about, what is so Great and what is a Portal?
A Great Portal, Great Links to Great websites has moved to a new website address, of http://www.agreatportal.com This is part of on-going improvements. The website has lots of links to various and interesting subjects as well as a Multi-search, a...
Your Hard Drive is Going to Explode – Why a UPS is Essential
It’s most peoples worst computing nightmare. You wake up in the morning, flip on the computer, and it doesn’t boot. Sometimes the problem rears its ugly head as a horrific clacking noise. Other times it simply gives a read error. At this point,...
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When is a Software Engineer Not a Software Engineer?
The title of “software engineer” has got to be among the most highly abused in the corporate high-tech world. It’s also one of the most popular.
And why not? It sounds a lot better than “computer programmer,” and it looks much better on one’s business card. Unfortunately, it’s often inaccurate. Engineering is, after all, the application of sound technical principles to develop systems that are robust, efficient and elegant. I’ve found that a great many software engineers can develop working programs, but do little or no real engineering design.
Does this sound harsh? Perhaps, but I’ve also found it hard to deny. I’ve encountered very few software engineers, for example, who have clean, crisp and readable coding styles—an essential element of elegant software design. I’ve also encountered a preponderance of cryptically written functions, clumsy software abstractions and bizarre spaghetti code. To my dismay, I’ve discovered that even among computer science graduates, many reduce object-oriented programming to the mere use of private data, public functions and object instantiations. It’s enough to break a teacher’s heart.
Now, I won’t go so far as to say that most programmers write spaghetti code. That would not be fair. However, I do think that relatively few programmers have a deep appreciation for the artistry of software development. That’s not to say that they’re ignorant of such things; not at all. Rather, it’s more that the engineering aspects of elegant code design are all too often neglected.
I think this happens because modern programming tools have made proper code design seem like a nuisance. In the early years of computing, people were forced to write out their software designs, pondering many fine details before they ever sat down in front of the computer. Nowadays, with our fast compilers and interactive debugging systems, programmers often find it more convenient to simply sit down and start coding, with just a modicum of software design. Mind you, I do understand that
this is sometimes more efficient—when the programming task is fairly routine, for example. However, when such design-as-you-go software development becomes standard practice, then you have the makings of utter chaos.
In part, this problem is also rooted in the malleable nature of computer software. No self-respecting civil engineer would design a bridge by slapping girders together until he has something that works; after all, if the bridge collapses, it could take months to rebuild it. Similarly, no sensible architect would want to build a house without blueprints and floor plans. Yet it is commonplace for programmers to develop software using poorly chosen functions and only the sketchiest of designs. After all, if the software doesn’t work, they can always find the bug and fix it—at least, in theory. In practice, these bugs are often difficult to detect, and fixing them can require extensive surgery. The consequences of an ill-designed software program can be disastrous indeed.
For this reason, I believe that high-tech companies need to give software engineering the respect that it deserves. They need to develop a true culture of systematic software design, instead of merely settling for “whatever works.” A company that’s looking toward the future must pay proper devotion to the principles of software maintainability, proper documentation and elegant, robust design. It must also inculcate a culture of true software engineering among its employees. The failure to do so may work in the short-term, but it is a recipe for long-term disaster.
V. Berba Velasco Jr., Ph.D. takes great pride in working at Cellular Technology Ltd (http://www.immunospot.com, http://www.elispot-analyzers.de, http://www.elispot.cn) where he serves as a senior electrical and software engineer. He is pleased to work in an environment where excellence is valued.
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Tucows Downloads - Download Freeware and Shareware Software |
Download freeware, shareware, and demos. Maintains over 45000 software titles that are tested, rated, reviewed and ready to download. |
www.tucows.com |
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Free Software Downloads and Software Reviews - Download.com |
Download shareware, freeware and Demo software for PC, Mac, Linux, and Handhelds categorized into categories, plus software reviews. |
www.download.com |
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Computer software - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
This includes application software such as a word processor, which enables a ... Application software is often purchased separately from computer hardware. ... |
en.wikipedia.org |
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Shareware.com - Search for shareware programs and free software ... |
Search for shareware programs from more than a dozen downloadable software directories. |
www.shareware.com |
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Jumbo: Free & Shareware MP3 files, Games, Screen Savers & Computer ... |
Source of free and shareware computer programs and utilities for PC and Mac. Evaluate software and read product reviews. Download games and screen savers. |
www.jumbo.com |
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Computer Software in the Yahoo! Directory |
Browse categories featuring sites devoted to computer software, including shareware and freeware download sites, operating systems, desktop customization, ... |
dir.yahoo.com |
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IEEE Software |
IEEE Computer Society's magazine covering all aspects of software, including software engineering. |
www.computer.org |
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Free Downloads on ZDNet | Shareware, Trialware, Evaluation Software |
ZDNet's Software Directory is the Web's largest library of software downloads. Covering software for Windows, Mac, and Mobile systems, ZDNet's Software ... |
downloads.zdnet.com |
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FSF - The Free Software Foundation |
Free software is a matter of liberty not price. Think of "free" as in "free speech". |
www.fsf.org |
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Apple - Software |
Software products for your digital life. ... The perfect addition for professional review. QuickTime Broadcaster. Encoding software for live events. ... |
www.apple.com |
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Open Directory - Computers: Software |
In Partnership with AOL Search. about dmoz | report abuse/spam | help. the entire directory, only in Computers/Software. Top: Computers: Software (38471) ... |
dmoz.org |
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freshmeat.net: Welcome to freshmeat.net |
About: The Web browser is probably the most frequently used software today, ... Web professionals can use the software for functional testing and regression ... |
freshmeat.net |
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Software - GNU Project - Free Software Foundation (FSF) |
Listing of the GNU software packages. |
www.gnu.org |
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Sun Software |
Get enterprise-class software--Solaris 10 OS, the Java Enterprise System, ... Sun Java StorageTek Software reduces cost and complexity with a single, ... |
www.sun.com |
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Internet Real Estate.com -- owns and operates a portfolio of the ... |
SOFTWARE.COM · SWEEPSTAKES.COM · PHONE.COM PODCAST.COM ... Software.com | Sweepstakes.com | Phone.com | Podcast.com | Shop.com | Safety.com ... |
www.internetrealestate.com |
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Joel on Software |
A weblog by Joel Spolsky, a programmer working in New York City, about software and software companies. |
www.joelonsoftware.com |
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Amazon.com Software: Computer & video games, business, accounting ... |
Online shopping for computer & video games, business & office productivity software, software from Microsoft, Apple, Adobe & more; accounting, antivirus, ... |
www.amazon.com |
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IBM Software - Home Page |
IBM home page for all of its software products, including Lotus and Tivoli, with keyword search, category browse and AZ product names. |
www.ibm.com |
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Opera web browser: Homepage |
Copyright © 2006 Opera Software ASA. All rights reserved. Skip navigation. Opera Software ... Copyright Opera Software ASA . All rights reserved. ... |
www.opera.com |
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Google Directory - Computers > Software |
Search only in Software Search the Web ... Software Categorized by Letter: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z ... |
www.google.com |
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