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Steve McConnell

Steve McConnell Quotes

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Famous Steve McConnell Quotes

“Testing by itself does not improve software quality. Test results are an indicator of quality, but in and of themselves, they don't improve it. Trying to improve software quality by increasing the amount of testing is like trying to lose weight by weighing yourself more often. What you eat before you step onto the scale determines how much you will weigh, and the software development techniques you use determine how many errors testing will find. If you want to lose weight, don't buy a new scale; change your diet. If you want to improve your software, don't test more; develop better.”

IfsWantTryingDoeUseLosesResultsQualityStepsDevelopmentAmountTestsWeightErrorsSimplicityDetermineTechniqueScalesDietsProgrammingSoftwareTestingProgrammersComputer ProgrammingLose WeightIndicatorsWeighingSoftware DesignComputer ProgrammersSoftware DevelopmentComputer SoftwareCode Quality
Book:Code Complete
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“Even when you have skilled, motivated, hard-working people, the wrong team structure can undercut their efforts instead of catapulting them to success. A poor team structure can increase development time, reduce quality, damage morale, increase turnover, and ultimately lead to project cancellation.”

PeopleHardPoorEffortQualityTeamHard WorkDevelopmentProjectsIncreaseStructureDamageProgrammingTeamworkMotivatedMoraleSoftware EngineeringTurnoverCancellationUndercutStaffing
Book:Rapid Development
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“Building software implies various stages of planning, preparation and execution that vary in kind and degree depending on what's being built. [...] Building a four-foot tower requires a steady hand, a level surface, and 10 undamaged beer cans. Building a tower 100 times that size doesn't merely require 100 times as many beer cans.”

KindHandsLevelsFourFeetStageBuildingDegreesBuiltSizeVariousSurfacePlanningPreparationBeerSoftwareSteadyExecutionTowersVarySteady Hands
Book:Code Complete
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“In software, consultants sometimes tell you to buy into certain software-development methods to the exclusion of other methods. That’s unfortunate because if you buy into any single methodology 100 percent, you’ll see the whole world in terms of that methodology. In some instances, you’ll miss opportunities to use other methods better suited to your current problem.”

IfsWorldSometimesWholeUseProblemCertainOpportunityTermMissingDevelopmentPercentMethodCurrentsWhole WorldInstanceSoftwareUnfortunateExclusionMethodologyConsultantsSoftware DevelopmentMissing Opportunity
Book:Code Complete
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