Columns: Dev How-To and Advice


Agile Humor: 5 Radio Ads and Announcements We'll Never Hear

Our Agile Architect provides absolutely nothing of value in this column. But you might enjoy reading it anyway.

The Art of Writing Agile Stories Redux

Our Agile Architect delves deeper into agile story writing by illustrating his own thought processes when evolving stories from concept to final form.

Defining Your Product with Agile Stories

Building the right product is critical for success. Our Agile Architect shows you how to write carefully crafted stories to define your product and drive agile development. 

Reducing Agile Project Costs With Amortization

The Agile Architect explains how to reduce the cost of large efforts while immediately realizing the benefits. His secret: amortize!

Good Agile Is Messy Agile

Our Agile Architect explains why a clean, well-organized environment is bad for your Agile project.

Agile Deadline Ahead: Calculating Velocity

This month our Agile Architect tackles how you can answer perhaps the most important question of any development project: Are we going to make our deadline?

Picking an Agile Pilot Project: First Impressions Matter

This may be the most important decision in getting agile implemented in your shop long-term. Mark J. Balbes breaks down all the criteria to help you make the right choice.

Continuous Improvement: The Importance of the Team Retrospective

Even good agile teams can get better. Mark J. Balbes walks you through how retrospectives have impacted his team and shows you options for yours.

Agile Holiday Wishes: T'was the Night Before Release...

Our agile architect offers a programming twist on a classic holiday tale.

Dealing with Technical Debt: An Agile Horror Story

Halloween may be over but our Agile Architect has a terror tale for you just the same. It always seems like the right time to incur technical debt but never the right time to pay it off. So don't incur it or this could happen to you...

Project Management Is Not Enough: 4 Crucial Agile Techniques

Why you need automated testing, continuous integration, test-driven development and -- yes -- pair programming for agile to be successful.

You Can't Do Agile If You Haven't Seen Agile

Do all the research you want, but according to our expert, successful agile transitions require someone who's actually spent time in an agile environment.

Agile and CMMI, Part II: Tips from the Trenches

Facing CMMI appraisal? Mark walks you through how he completed the Risk Management and Decision Analysis portions of CMMI Maturity Level 3 for his agile shop.

Are Agile and CMMI Compatible?

CMMI certification aligns with agile much more than you might think.

Welcome to The Agile Architect: 3 Agile Misconceptions

Mark J. Balbes, Ph.D., shares what you can expect in his new ADTmag.com column, and talks about three common misconceptions about agile that he'll address further in the coming months.

What Does an Architect Do in an Agile Shop? An Agile Architect Explains All...

If you're wondering what a software architect does in an agile development environment, you're not alone. Mark J. Balbes shares what he does and how it all comes together in better code.

Want Quality Software? Focus on People and Processes -- Not Technology

If your goal truly is quality software delivery, don't get distracted by the tech -- your team and the processes they implement are what will make the biggest difference.

iPad's Platform Impact

By many accounts, the Apple iPad has been a disappointment -- even Apple "fanboy" bloggers and tweeters have proclaimed themselves underwhelmed.

Bridging .NET and Java

Create hybrid apps that let your Java programs call native .NET code.

More than Code

In enterprise architecture, Web services continue to dominate the discourse in design and implementation.