Usability issues in software development tools

(This talk was part of a panel discussion at a talk sponsored by User Experience Professional Association - UXPA-NJ.)

Usability – software development tools

There are many complex tools to support software development. What are some of the issues for usability?

• Coding - Integrated Development Environments (IDEs)
• Unit testing
• Code inspection
• Source code management
• Automated build and test
• Project management

What kinds of tasks are involved?

Code creation, editing, reviews, testing, code management...

• Create code in a series of small code files
• Compile and test the code in each file
• Multiple team members perform “code reviews”
• Use a source code management system to store current files
• Multiple times per day – automatically build and test the system

IDEs – Integrated Development Environments

Most coding work is “editing files”

• Coding can still be done with a simple text editor
• Or you can use an IDE – Integrated Development Environment
  • Microsoft Visual Studio (Visual Basic, C++, C#)
  • Eclipse (Java, C++, Python)
  • many others... (Xcode, NetBeans, IntelliJ)

An IDE is big and ugly – like running a nuclear power plant many windows, many buttons

• it’s OK... software developers are managing a lot of things

Why IDEs? Possible problems.

syntax directed editor – the main editing functions in an IDE provide automated help with formatting, finding the right function to be called

• it reduces some coding errors: finds some problems before compilation

Many other “one person” coding tasks

• compile one file
• compile an entire module (multiple related files)
• run a program (in “single step” mode), inspect memory
• write unit test code
• run unit tests (if they pass, show a “green bar”)

As a software developer, you are the pilot of a “one-man scout ship” – not so good at interworking with others

Why IDEs? Possible problems.

• IDEs are like text editors, each person has a favorite
• Syntax directed editing is good
  • saves effort, code is easier to read
• Syntax directed editing is bad
  • good formatting – can disguise code logic errors
• Unit testing is a good habit, and the tools provide great support
• But you don’t need a fancy IDE – it is OK to avoid complex tools

Code review tools

• good to have other people do an “inspection” on your code
• the old-fashioned way is to have a face-to-face code review meeting
• the new way is to use a code review tool
• examples: Collaborator, Crucible, Gerrit
• code reviewers enter comments into a web-based interface
  • code developers use the comments to make improvements
• usability issue: most code reviews are for “changes to existing files” (more than for “new files”)

Notes:

• Reviewing code changes is tricky
• It is difficult to see the “big picture” within the review tools
• Some reviewers do not provide good written feedback... some reviews are better face-to-face

Source code management tools

• even in a small project, it is good to keep the latest source code in a management tool
• absolutely critical for large projects and for agile projects
• most popular tools: CVS, Subversion, Git
• many open source projects use GitHub (web-based code repository)

Notes:

• Tools are great for code and documents... everyone should learn about Git and GitHub

Automated build and continuous integration tools

• every agile project wants to build and test as often as possible (daily, hourly)
• it is a good way to keep multiple developers in sync, find and correct errors quickly
• CI tools run on a server machine
  • “check out” the latest version of code and tests
  • build everything and run a set of acceptance tests
  • keep an on-line report of the latest build status, send notifications about failures
• most popular tools: CruiseControl, Hudson, Jenkins

Project management tools

A constantly-evolving set of work tasks

• Coding: create new code, modify existing code
• Requirements and design: create and modify documents
• Test plans, user documentation, status reports

Project tools try to address the needs of managers and team members...

• The best “agile” tools focus on team members – lightweight, simple views of low-level tasks (Product Backlog or Kanban Board)
• Popular tools: Jira, VersionOne, Bugzilla, ...

Notes:

• These tools have very good “human factors” – using color to show success or failure
• Reports on build history – “sun” for always passing, “storm clouds” for frequent failures

Conclusion

• There are a number of “domains” for tools that support software development
• Some tool choices are based on personal preferences
  • code development, unit testing
• Tools can help support team activities
  • code reviews, continuous integration, project management
• Don’t go overboard...