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Software Release Methodology
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Author: Michael E. Bays, Michael Bays
List Price: $53.00
Our Price: Click to see the latest and low price
ISBN: 0136365647
Publisher: Pearson Education POD (23 June, 1999)
Edition: Paperback
Sales Rank: 79,065
Average Customer Rating: 3.64 out of 5
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Customer ReviewsRating: 3 out of 5
Ok as reference book for Pointy Haired Managers
I went out and got a copy of this book because (1) relatively good initial reviews, (2) the items in the Table of Contents that made sense. Although the content does not suck as badly as what the other reviews wrote, it wasn't "satisfying". Bays placed in sections of text assuming the readers do not an inkling of a tech background, and no idea whatsover on the psychology of a software shop. It's nice to see in print all the psychological/organization behavior assessments you've made through years of painful lessons, but I needed a book that will tell me practically what to do (or at least a story about what worked for him and what he thinks one should do in different set ups). No, instead he launches into a textbook style discussion of a lot of basics with the assumption that the reader have never gotten been down in the trenches as a /with the developers before.It's not an entirely bad approach. Like I said in the title of this review, this book is great for "Pointy Haired Managers" (ala Dilbert) -- managers of tech organizations who have never been in the trenches himself. No sarcasm intended. It's also a good book to use when you have to educate/convince "Pointy Haired Managers" on how things "should be" done (because it sounds really illogical from his simplified point of view). No sarcasm intended here too. (Those who have worked with non-technical bosses will agree with me the hardest part is educating a boss with a slight tendency to micromanage -- because he couldn't grasp the situation.) Actually this book can be a great text book for an IT Technical Management course for non technical managers. It does have everything you need to know about the last stages of software development (THE RELEASE).
Rating: 3 out of 5
For those who know a little and want to know a little more
I you know nothing about software development, you will not understand what he is trying to say. (You will be lost even in the beginning, chapter 2 "Nontechnical Primer on Files, Tools, and Source".) If you are already a seasoned software developer (or release/build engineer), this book will be of very little use. (chapter 3 "Source Code Control", chapter 4 "Builds", chapter 5 "Defect Tracking", etc. are nothing really new to you.)I give this book 3 stars because
1. it's very hard to find a practical book on SCM and release management
2. Michael Bays has included somewhat useful real-life methods used in Cisco
3. If you know a little and want to know a little more, this book is OK Having said that, after reading the book, you will still not be able to develop an entire CM, build, and release infrastructure for medium to large software development. One complete infrastructure sample each for small, medium and large software development environment would gain this book 0.5 to 1.5 more stars.
Rating: 1 out of 5
Contains trivial facts everybody knows
I bought this book, because of the great reviews, but I must agree with the comment "If you know ANYTHING about developing software...ANYTHING at all...this book is a complete waste of time." Area of release planning IS interesting and difficult, but solution is not this book.
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