Putting best practices under the hammer -- ADTmag

Putting best practices under the hammer

By Will Kilburn
March 17, 2003

[MARCH 18, 2003/ADT'S PROGRAMMERS REPORT] - With the release of the SourceForge Collaborative Development Process (CDP), VA Software says it has created a software development methodology that combines best practices with development, collaboration and project management tools.

"What we envision for the CDP is two things," said David Applebaum, senior vice president of marketing at VA Software. "First off, it's great to have tools and an overall environment for developing applications; but without solid process, and a means of implementing that process, even the best-laid plans of mice and men go astray."

Rather than imposing various methods and practices on development teams, Applebaum said that the CDP is designed to allow users to pick and choose what they like from the tools in SourceForge Enterprise Edition.

"We wanted to make it very flexible and non-rigorous for the adopting organizations," he explained. "Rather than looking at a linear adoption model -- where you have to start at Step 1 to get to Step 2 to get to Step 3 -- we developed the CDP around an 'a la carte' adoption model where you use what you need, when you need it and in the ways that you need it."

(Ed. Note: A version of this story appeared in an earlier edition of eADT, Application Development Trends' flagship e-mail newsletter.)