Re: Tools was Re: [AM] A small success and a large irony

"Scott E. Preece" <[email protected]> Thu, 12 Feb 2004 08:23:49 -0600 (CST)

Newsgroups	gmane.comp.programming.modeling.agile
Message-ID	<[email protected]>

Just a couple of thoughts in response to Scott A's essay. Much of which
amount to "I agree that using simple tools is good, but I think I
disagree about the definition of "simple"...

| If you are modeling to understand something then the value isnt in the
| model that you create but in the modeling itself.
---

This implies that "understanding" is an irreversible state transition
from not-knowing to knowing. Many of us find that understanding of
complex relationships or interactions is transitory and that retaining
the model helps retain the understanding.

---
| My rule of thumb is that the greater the amount of uncertainty
| surrounding the issue that you are modeling the greater the flexibility
| you will want in your tools, therefore the simpler your tools need to
| be.
---

As noted previously, hand-drawn diagrams are simple, but the high cost
of redrawing them may be a barrier to change. Tools that are lithe,
well-suited to purpose, and well-integrated, may make your modeling more
agile. I can draw MSCs with our tools MUCH faster than I could draw
them by hand, AND I can easily modify them, I export them to other
tools, suck out lists of entity names as text, etc.

---
| For example, when I am first exploring how I intend to build a screen I
| will often use Post-It notes, sticking them to the nearest flat surface
| (a desktop, a whiteboard, ) that I can find. Post-Its are easy to work
| with, you can write brief descriptions on them or little sketches, and
| easy to move around. Furthermore they stay where you put them because
| of the glue on their backside. Post-Its are great at the beginning of
| screen design because you can get a feel for the layout very quickly,
| adding and removing widgets quickly.
---

Post-its are a great tool. Our UI designers use them extensively. On
the other hand, I can make text boxes in Visio as fast as I can make
Post-its, I can move them around as easily, they remain sticky forever
(unlike Post-its), and [the killer] I can mail the result to somebody
else, or print it in different sizes, or clone it as a base for
exploring a variation, or put it under version control so I can remember
the steps that led to the current state...

---
| perhaps my organizations process insists on the development of
| detailed screen specifications before any coding can begin (clearly not
| a very agile process)
---

As noted elsewhere, I think the agility should have occurred in
designing the screens and flows, which should happen before you go to
code. I don't see anything un-agile in designing the screen layout
before you code it, unless you're totally into cowboy coding ("I may not
have gone to design school, but I know a good screen when I code it
up.") Usability is important - it needs to be designed in and
validated. Getting it right often requires many iterations and
more-or-less completely tearing up the paradigm interaction. That's
usually too expensive and too slow to do in code.

On the other hand, the last half of the essay, on CASE tools and tool
selection, is almost all good stuff and definitely worth reading and
internalizing. I think the list of cons and pros reflects a litte bias
against tools ("time lost waiting" surely is offsetting some manual
process that would probably take longer, "migration costs" should be
compared with costs of manual translation, "maintenance of the model" is
only a cost if you choose to maintain it, which you would only do if you
were getting continuing value out of it, and the "Benefits" section
fails to mention integration of multiple views that keeps them in synch
automatically when at least some kinds of changes are made. However,
the overall message ("use the tool that provides maximum value") is
just right.

scott

--
scott preece
motorola urbana design center (il67), 1800 s. oak st., champaign, il 61820
e-mail: [email protected] fax: 217-384-8550
phone: 217-384-8589 cell: 217-433-6114 pager: [email protected]

For more information about AM, visit the Agile Modeling Home Page at www.agilemodeling.com
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