Smart and Lazy Software Development

Smart and energetic people believe 'Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today.' Smart and lazy people say 'Never do today what you can put off till tomorrow!' This is, to me, one of the most useful tenets from the eXtreme Programming movement.

Ferlazzo, Ellen Lawson. Sprezzatura Systems (2002). Articles>Management>Programming

Software Testing  

If you area technical writer who writes software documentation, chances are you have been informally involved in testing the software that you are documenting. In larger organizations, entire divisions are devoted to thoroughly testing software before it is released. In smaller organizations, this position could be informal or nonexistent. In this workshop, you will learn a basic methodology for testing software that you can use as a starting point for a new or expanded career.

Chiricosta, Tracey C., Charles D. Fisher Jr. and Tom Witherspoon. STC Proceedings (1997). Articles>TC>Programming>Collaboration

Sofware Development Theories

The purpose of this collaboration is to collect on one portal page many of the current theories of software development, so that a technical communicator working with developers can at least be a bit familiar with these. It is by no means a thorough explanation of all the contemporary methodologies, both organic and imposed. But it should give readers some tips about what they are and where they can find more information.

Albing, Bill. KeyContent.org (2004). Articles>Software>Programming

Speed Up Your Ajax Applications While Dodging Web Services Vulnerabilities

Deploying bandwidth-efficient Ajax applications does not guarantee that the service levels in a Service Level Agreement will stay high. No matter how well you change code in the Ajax format to make it more bandwidth efficient, there will be always risks and vulnerabilities you'll need to watch out for and mitigate. Regular developerWorks author Judith Myerson gives a brief Ajax recap, shows what Web services vulnerabilities are and why Service Level Agreements (SLA) are important, and suggests some solutions for speeding up Ajax applications.

Myerson, Judith. IBM (2007). Articles>Web Design>Programming>Ajax

Systems and Programming Documentation for Technical Writers with No Data Processing Background  

This workshop teaches technical communicators what to include in internal documentation, how to interview and work with technical people, and basics of how to 'read' and evaluate code.

Glick-Smith, Judith L. STC Proceedings (1993). Articles>Documentation>Programming>Software

Take Command with AJAX

Want to get a bang out of your AJAX artillery? In this hands-on tutorial, Stoyan puts AJAX on the front line as he develops a Web app with which you can execute shell commands on your Web server. The downloadable code provides a real tactical advantage as Stoyan marshals JavaScript and XML to create the app.

Stefanov, Stoyan. SitePoint (2005). Design>Web Design>Programming>Ajax

Time to Make Tech Work

The IT industry is maturing. Hopefully, this maturity will result in a slower introduction of new features, which in turn will let companies focus their attention and resources on making existing technology work better for users.

Nielsen, Jakob. Alertbox (2003). Articles>Usability>Programming>Software

Tips for Documenting an XML DTD  

XML-based development projects often require the development of a Document Type Definition (DTD), which defines the XML code used in an XML document or application. Even if you are customizing an existing DTD like the DocBook DTD, documenting the DTD is a best practice for a number of reasons, including:Providing documentation

Kelly, William T. TechRepublic (2003). Articles>Documentation>Programming>XML

Typographical Features of the Cocoa Text System

It is common, especially in technical writing, to mix languages with differing text direction, such as English and Hebrew, in the same line. Some writing systems even alternate layout direction in every other line (an arrangement called boustrophedonic writing). Some languages do not group glyphs into words separated by spaces. Moreover, some applications call for arbitrary arrangements of glyphs; a graphic layout may require glyphs to be arranged on a nonlinear path.

Apple Inc. (2006). Design>Typography>Programming>Macintosh

UI Design with Java and XML Toolkits

XML has revolutionized application UI design in recent years. With a cunning blend of XML and script languages such as JavaScript, rich, aesthetically pleasing applications can be quickly constructed with ease. We've looked at Widgets and XUL as two examples of this in the past and now, I'm going to take a look at some of the innovative Java UI toolkits that implement XML as an integral mechanism for application II design. Please note, this is the first part of a two-part article.

Wellman, Dan. Dev Articles (2006). Design>User Interface>Programming>XML

Understanding Java  

This paper introduces neophytes to Java. It starts with Java’'s beginnings as a programming language for interactive cable TV boxes and continues through the features of optimization, platform-independence, and object-orientation that make it unique. Next, it dispels the myths surrounding Java, presents solid guidelines for when and when not to use Java, and finally examines today’s practical uses of Java, including enhancing Web pages, managing a business, and delivering sophisticated training modules capable of advanced interactions.

Currie, Cynthia C. STC Proceedings (1997). Articles>Web Design>Programming>DHTML

Universal Access: Computers That Everyone Can Use

Apple has been working hard on Universal Access and it's time for you, the developer, to incorporate Universal Access into your application if you haven't done so already. This article guides you through the reasons you will want to provide Universal Access, the architecture underlying the technology, and how to get started incorporating these features into your application.

Apple Inc. (2006). Articles>User Experience>Programming>Macintosh

Upgrade Web Applications with New Technologies

To maintain success, companies often incorporate the benefits of new and evolving technologies into their star products. Unfortunately, integrating new technologies can sometimes compromise a product's features and adversely affect the time to market. The time it takes for a product development team to become acquainted with the new technology can limit the number of new features added to the product. Discover the most common problems associated with incorporating new technologies into existing products, and learn what steps you can take to avoid these issues and upgrade your products successfully.

Bhattacharya, Shantanu. IBM (2007). Design>Web Design>Programming

Usability in Software Development

Usability does not begin and end with the web. In fact, long before the Internet was a gleam in the Pentagon's eye, computer professionals were already aware of the need for human-computer interaction to be as natural and intuitive as possible. In fact, there are many compelling reasons to suggest that usability is even more critical to successful application design than it is for winning websites.

Farrell, Tom. Frontend Infocentre (2001). Design>Software>Programming>Usability

Useful WordBasic Commands That Have no VBA Equivalent

When Microsoft released Word 97, a new programming language VBA replaced the WordBasic language that had been available in earlier versions of Word. For most things, VBA is a much more powerful and flexible programming language than WordBasic, but there are a few very useful WordBasic commands which have no direct equivalents in VBA. Fortunately, VBA includes the WordBasic object, which gives access to most of the old WordBasic commands.

West, Jonathan. STC Proceedings (2005). Articles>Word Processing>Programming>Microsoft Word

Using ActionScript in Macromedia Flash MX 2004: Best Practices

Code it right: Use these best practices as you write your ActionScript.

deHaan, Jen. Adobe (2004). Design>Web Design>Programming>Flash

Using Mocks to Verify Interactions

Continues a conversation with closer look at 'mocks,' utility classes that, for testing purposes, pretend to be some component or service with which your object will interact.

North, Dan. StickyMinds (2006). Articles>Information Design>Programming

Using UNIX Scripts to Put Documentation Online  

Standard UNIX commands can be combined into scripts. Such scripts permit the automation of tasks that otherwise may take many hours of manual work. The paper shows how scripts can solve such problems as putting messages online and indexing texts.

Haltresht, Michael. STC Proceedings (1993). Articles>Documentation>Programming>UNIX

Views and Forms: Principles of Task Flow for Web Applications Part 1

One of the defining elements of web applications is their support for the editing and manipulation of stored data. Unlike the typical conversation that goes on between a user and a content-centric website however, this additional capability requires a more robust dialog between user and application.

Baxley, Bob. Boxes and Arrows (2003). Design>Web Design>Programming

What Ever Happened to Web Engineering?

Does it ever occur to you that today's Web developers could learn a thing or two from traditional computer programming? The cranky user talks about the foundations of software engineering and asks where in the Web those best practices have disappeared to.

Seebach, Peter. IBM (2007). Articles>Web Design>Programming

What is a Good First Programming Language?

Programming is an art. As with any other art, it is important to use the right medium. In programming, this translates to the choice of programming language. But why should one pay so much attention to one's first programming language?

Gupta, Diwaker. ACM Crossroads (2004). Articles>Technology>Programming

What is a Web Application?

What distinguishes a web application from a traditional, content-based website and what are some of the unique design challenges associated with web applications? A reasonable launching point is the more fundamental question, 'What is an application?'

Baxley, Bob. Boxes and Arrows (2003). Design>Web Design>Programming

What It Really Takes to Handle Exceptional Conditions  

Handling exceptions, errors, and alternative flows are a critical part of defining good use cases and designing good software. Correct handling of esceptional conditions is not only necessary for correct realization of requirements and for system reliability, but is also an important factor in usability. This paper details a systematic approach to the design of exception handling in object-oriented software.

Wirfs-Brock, Rebecca. Constantine and Lockwood (2003). Articles>Usability>Programming

What's All the Jive About Java?   

Java and JavaScript are two of the newest 'kids on the block' when it comes to the latest developments for the computing and Internet world. Already, many are predicting that within a very few years Java will be the programming language of choice. Already, JavaScripts are nearly ubiquitous on the World Wide Web, largely because of their cross-platform nature and ease of use. And already, many technical communicators are beginning to consider what impact these new tools will have on their careers. While relatively few technical communicators will deal directly with JavaScripts and even fewer with Java programming, those involved in Web page development and online (HTML) documentation will find them valuable to learn and use.

Beck, Charles O. STC Proceedings (1997). Design>Web Design>Programming>DHTML