Practitioner’s myths

Practitioner’s myths:
Myths that are still believed by software practitioners have been fostered by over 50 years of programming culture. During the early days of software, programming was viewed as an art form. Old ways and attitudes die hard.

Myth: Once we write the program and get it to work, our job is done.

Reality: Someone once said that the sooner you begin writing code, the longer it’ll take you to get done. Industry data indicate that between 60 and 80 percent of all effort expended on software will be expended after it is delivered to the customer for the first time.

Myth: Until i get the program running. I have no way of assessing its quality.

Reality: One of the most effective software quality assurance mechanisms can be applied from the inception of a project – the formal technical review. Software reviews are a “quality filter” that have been found to be more effective than testing for finding certain classes of software errors.

Myth: The only deliverable work product for a successful project is the working program.

Reality: A working program is only one part of a software configuration that includes many elements. Documentation provides a foundation for successful engineering and a more importantly, guidance for software support.