The Mythical Man-Month Ch. 10-12

The Mythical Man-Month
Ch. 10-12
Brooks, Frederick P
Addison-Wesley, 1995

Summary:

Chapter 10 discusses several methods that teams can use to document projects. A team can collect documentation in the form of objectives, specifications, budgets, schedules, organization charts, space allocations, and estimate prices. The authors uses a university department as an example to show the necessary elements needed to properly document a project. The author ends the chapter by explaining how proper documentation can help reveal problems with the project, such as design errors and inconsistencies.

Chapter 11 returns to the concept of writing prototype systems with the intention to be thrown out before writing the actual system. Since this process takes more time it is likely that requirements will change and new features may be added. To help adapt the code to new requirements the project should be designed in a very modular fashion with the ability to add and remove modules without crashing the system or needing significant rewriting of the code. The author ends the chapter by discussing the importance of writing maintainable code, stating that code maintenance can often be more costly than the development of the code itself.

Chapter 12 discusses tools that teams need to use to finish the job. The author discusses how tools should be shared instead of used by individuals in order to encourage communication. The author also encourages the use of high level languages to increase productivity and communication through code.

Discussion:

This reading is interesting because it discusses the need for documentation and the right tools in order to get the job done. What I did not like about the reading is that all of the ideas seemed like common sense, especially the ones regarding the need for documentation and tools that everyone can use. This reading can be used by teams that are planning on what tools they need to acquire before beginning the development of a software project.