Although much has been written about object technology and the benefits of this paradigm, there is still a shortage of compiled knowledge about what to expect and to plan for during project implementation. This book provides information that managers need to combat the unforeseen challenges that await them, allowing them to survive and ultimately succeed with an object-oriented project. To provide practical advice and guidelines for successfully managing an object-oriented project, the author borrows from the seasoned wisdom of numerous experts and successful consultants while also drawing on his personal experience and extensive knowledge. Surviving Object-Oriented Projects: A Managers Guide points out potential hazards and names workable solutions by addressing the important issues of scheduling, budgeting, staffing, and cost justification. Key points are supported and illustrated through short case studies taken from real object-oriented projects, and an appendix collects these workable guidelines and solutions into brief crib sheets ideal for handy reference.
While books on software engineering and project management abound, Alistair Cockburn's
Surviving Object-Oriented Projects stands out as a lively view from the trenches of project management. It provides plenty of tips and tricks that will help you avoid the most common hazards of working with objects, especially for the first time.
The first part of the book concentrates on the common myths of object-oriented development. (For example, he clearly prefers Smalltalk and Java to C++ as a development language and he is not enthusiastic about today's computer-aided software engineering [CASE] tools.) He also cuts through the mire of software-engineering methodologies for development by stressing an incremental approach to creating software and gives many useful and practical suggestions for setting up and managing projects of varying sizes.
Throughout this lively and well-written text, the author mixes in anecdotes from actual managers and developers. He also presents actual case histories for projects (both small and large) and analyzes what was done correctly and what went wrong. The author develops 12 strategies for creating successful, on-time software using objects, which are collated in a handy appendix--there is even a detachable "crib sheet."
With its mix of common sense and real-world savvy, Surviving Object-Oriented Projects offers a refreshing take on the realities of developing object-oriented software. This concise and engaging title can improve the odds of success for your next programming project. --Richard Dragan
