Java Code Quality Bugs Dev Managers Most -- ADTmag

Java Code Quality Bugs Dev Managers Most

By Matthew Schwartz, Enterprise Systems
November 8, 2005

Things that worry Java development managers who oversee teams of five or more developers are code quality and the inability to minimize bugs before code is released. That’s the upshot of a survey released this week by Clear Horizons, a technology research company. The study, commissioned by Enerjy Software, reveals that bugs in released code are what most concern 65 percent of the 216 dev managers who responded.

Java dev managers point to three areas that require improvement: tracking and training developer behaviors, developing metrics to measure code quality and integrating these procedures into their developers' existing toolsets.

"Development managers are looking to fill a void by finding a quality measurement system that will introduce solid quality metrics, help to track and train new hires, and continue to work within their existing toolsets," says Andy Cross, president of Clear Horizons. "Our research discovered that the ability to monitor the quality of a project early on gives development managers a greater sense of control to adhere to deadlines while meeting both internal standards and an external customer's requirements."

According to Clear Horizons, a majority of software errors are attributed to new developers’ being unaware of company policies and metrics for measuring code quality. More than half the respondents expressed the need to track and identify these problems earlier in the development process. The report also suggests that more than 69 percent of development managers are frustrated by developers who do not adhere to Java best-quality practices, resulting in potentially ill-fated software.

To download the report, go to Enerjy.