Software Doubts and Ideas Explaining
Software Myths
There are some misbelieves in the software industry about the software and process of building
software. For any software developer it is a must to know such beliefs and reality about them.
Here are some typical myths :
1. Myth : Using a collection of standards and procedures one can build software.
(Management Myth)
Reality: Eventhough we have all
standards and procedures with us for helping the developer to build software, it is not possible for software professionals to build desired product. This is because – the collection which we have should be complete, it should reflect modern techniques and more importantly it should be adaptable. It should also help the software professional to bring quality in the product.
2. Myth : Add more people to meet deadline of the project
(Management Myth)
Reality : Adding more people in order to catch the schedule will cause the reverse effect on the software product i.e., software project will get delayed. Because, we have to spend more time on educating people or informing them about the project.
3. Myth : If a project is outsourced to a third party then all the worries of software building are over.
(Management Myth)
Reality : When a company needs to outsource the project then it simply indicates that the company does not know how to manage the projects. Sometimes, the outsourced projects require proper support for development.
4. Myth : Even if the software requirements are changing continuously it is possible to accommodate these changes in the software.
(Customer Myth)
Reality : It is true that software is a flexible entity but if continuous changes in the requirements have to be incorporated then there are chances of introducing more and more errors in the software. Similarly, the additional resources and more design modification may be demanded by the software.
5. Myth : We can start writing the program by using general problem statements only. Later on using problem description we can add up the required functionalities in the program.
(Customer Myth)
Reality : it is not possible each time to have comprehensive problem statement. We have to start with general problem statements, however by proper communication with customer the software professionals can gather useful information. The most important thing is that the problem statement should be unambiguous to begin with.
6. Myth : Once the Program is running then its over !
(Practitioner’s Myth)
Reality : Even though we obtain that the program is running major part of work is after delivering it to customer.
7. Myth : Working program is the only work product for the software project.
(Practitioner’s Myth)
Reality : The working program / software is the major component of any software project but along with it there are many other elements that should be present in the software project such as documentation of software, guideline for software support.
8. Myth : There is no need of documenting the software project; it unnecessarily slows down the
development process.
(Practitioner’s Myth)
Reality : Documenting the software project helps in establishing ease in use of software. It helps in creating better quality. Hence documentation is not wastage of time but it is a must for any software project.
