Subj : Re: tools to build design of application
To   : comp.programming
From : Phlip
Date : Fri Jul 29 2005 07:35 am

Roman Mashak wrote:

> It's usual to make a design of application using pencil and paper list,
> where you can draw functional block and describe every C/C++ function
> specifications. It's true for small projects, I guess.
>
> But what are the good tools helping to manage full-cycle design of big
> application? What can you recommend? It might be open-source, free,
> commercial product? Or may be there are other techniques to fulfil the
> software design before start coding?

Living code must always be ready to change, regardless of where its design
began.

The best way to change code is to write wall-to-wall unit tests for it, and
run these after every tiny step of any change.

The best way to design code to be tested is to write the tests as you write
the code.

This leads to a curious effect. The best tools for full-lifecycle design of
industrial-strength applications are lots of unit tests.

Along the way, the code's design might occassionally be communicated and
adjusted via UML. This is (mercifully) less important!

    http://flea.sourceforge.net/TDD_in_a_nut_shell.pdf

Get JUnit, CppUnit, or a *Unit for your least-favorite language, and start
writing all tests before you write the tested code.

-- 
  Phlip
  http://www.c2.com/cgi/wiki?ZeekLand

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