[Home Page] - [Reviews Main]

A Discipline for Software Engineering by Watts Humphrey Recommended

ISBN: 0 201 54610 8       Publisher: Addison-Wesley       Pages: 789pp       Price: £36-95

Categories:   writing solid code     management

Reviewed by Jac van den Goor in C Vu 8-2 (Jan 1996)

Mastering the book though is not easy, it contains 789 pages of which the first 486 pages are dedicated to the introduction of the method, the Personal Software Process. The tools used for supporting the various phases in the method are not new, e.g. project planning, time and defects recording logs, code size estimation, regression planning and schedule planning, quality assurance procedures, reviewing, design guidelines, verification, testing and more. Exercises divide the various chapters, enabling the reader to practise the knowledge he just obtained by studying the theory. Even a disc containing templates of all the forms used can be ordered. Most improvement can be gained when the individual evaluates the used process continuously and learns from the mistakes made. The appendices are filled with additional information, like statistic methods, an overview of all forms used and a description of all exercises.

Humphrey and others have used material from this book to train professionals and students around the world in a projects-oriented software engineering course.

Managing your own personal software process is not easy, but it is worth the effort, since it will enable you to improve you knowledge and skills and broaden your view extensively.

Before rushing out to the bookshop to buy the book please reconsider the personal costs of a Personal Software Process. Bear in mind that it costs quite some time to learn and use the method. Next the emotional cost of maintaining the needed discipline could destroy all the things you've just learned; not only you, but also your environment has to allow you to spend effort in this method. Last but not least there's a risk to your own ego. Now you've learned to see more you probably will discover that others do a better job. Do not worry, find and capitalise on the talents you have and don't dwell on those you don't.