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Tool Adoption

Implementing and utilising specific tools in the development process.

Also Known As

Related

Addresses / Mitigates

  • Schedule Risk: Facilitates the use of specialized tools to improve development efficiency and quality.
  • Process Risk: Reduces the risk of manual errors by automating repetitive tasks.
  • Operational Risk: Enhances operational efficiency through the use of appropriate tools.

Attendant Risks

  • Software Dependency Risk: Creates dependencies on specific tools and their continued support.
  • Funding Risk: Can incur costs associated with acquiring and maintaining tools.
  • Complexity Risk: Integrating multiple tools can add complexity to the development process.
  • Boundary Risk: Once tools become embedded in the process, they can be hard to change.

Used By

  • Extreme Programming: XP teams often adopt specific tools to manage the backlog, tests, and collaboration.

Description​

"Software tools are programs and utilities that help developers create, debug, maintain, or otherwise support software development." - Software tool, Wikipedia

Tool Adoption in software development involves implementing and utilizing specific tools to enhance the development process. This includes tools for coding, debugging, testing, and project management. The use of appropriate tools helps in improving efficiency, quality, and collaboration among team members.

Discussion​

Tool Use​

In general, unless the problem is somehow specific to your circumstances it may well be better to skip direct coding and pick up some new tools to help with the job.

Tools in general are good and worth using if they offer you a better risk return than you would have had from not using them.

But, this is a low bar - some tools offer amazing returns on investment:

  • Assemblers
  • Compilers
  • Garbage Collection
  • Type Systems
  • Libraries
  • Build Tools
  • etc.

A really good tool offers such advantages that not using it becomes unthinkable: Linux is heading towards this point. For Java developers, the JVM is there already.

Picking new tools and libraries should be done very carefully: you may be stuck with your choices for some time. Here is a short guide that might help.

See Also​

Extreme Programming

An Agile software development methodology that emphasizes customer satisfaction, teamwork, and frequent delivery of small, functional software increments.