Improving Application Development with Digital Libraries

Improving Application Development
with Digital Libraries
How on-demand access to trusted information is used to overcome costly delays and rework in the application development process - through timeliness and accuracy.
Contents
Introduction 2
Application Development: Challenges and Needs 3
Keeping Development on Target 4
The Solution: Digital Libraries 5
Advantages for Workgroups 7
Conclusion 8
About Safari Books Online 9Introduction
"When I have a problem and need information, I turn to the Web. What I most often find is one person's view or solution. The quality of the solution is often unknown. You just don't know if he's been through all the gotchas."
-Thomas Edmondson, Senior Developer, Seattle WA Former contractor at EMC, Weyerhaeuser Company, and Hydra Worldwide Corporation
Technology managers understand that software obtaining information that turns out to be inaccurate developers, architects, and engineers face many can be difficult or time-consuming.challenges in the application development process. To increase efficiency and drive down cost in an In other words: What tools help development teams environment driven by changing market conditions, meet higher standards of quality and also reduce these professionals must meet or exceed extremely the overall length of time for any given initiative? high standards of quality and speed. And how do members of a development team cut through the clutter?In order to achieve these goals, application development solutions must be accessible and This white paper outlines some of the most salient adaptable -without sacrificing accuracy or market challenges and demonstrates how technology intelligence. These solutions include not only the managers can enable their development teams actual development tools, but information resources to streamline application development and about technology and development skills that can troubleshooting, while keeping them current on help developers create applications more efficiently emerging technology, new product versions, and and effectively. In the application development changing market trends-allowing them to move process, system complexity can be compounded right past the gotchas.by the use of inaccurate information-and even
Improving Application Development with Digital Libraries Application Development: Challenges and Needs
Though terminology varies, there are predictable feedback, while a successful design phase phases of development and challenges associated requires data showing up-to-date best practices. with each phase. For example, a successful testing And external information is needed in each phase.phase relies on solid testing and constructive
Common phases, challenges, and information needs can be found in this table:
Phase I: Phase II: Phase III: Phase V: Phase VII:Requirements/ Design Construction/ Testing/ ReleaseSpecifications Building Debugging
Role Client, Architect, Development, QA QAdeveloper, design, engineering (testing) (release)project team engineering
Challenges Gathering Architecture Technical Accurate Proper requirements and defining challenges testing and planning.and defining scope and cost. and project feedback.specifications. management.
External Document Design Development tips Debugging tips; Case studies Information templates, aproaches; and techniques; debugging tools of lessons Needs best practices pluses & minuses troubleshooting available. learned.requirements. of various information.approaches.
As noted by Thomas Edmondson, the Web is a vast endeavor both in terms of time and money. Having a resource, but the quality of the work is largely central, standardized source would overcome those unknown. Though authors and books are a trusted inefficiencies and provide a consistent methodology source, finding and buying books can be a costly for individuals and teams to follow.
Improving Application Development with Digital Libraries Keeping Development on Target
"When I am onsite, I bring my books and set them on whatever desk my client provides. However, the most up-to-date information isn't always in these references and wading through them can cost valuable time. Plus if I am traveling o... [download for more]