New Forum for code evaluation

Isn''t there a Software Engineering forum already?

Yes there is but the contents I talked about don''t really fit there. See, the group of ppl who would comment in the new forum are programming beginners as well as beginners of OO design.

Both those don''t really have something with Software Engineering yet. These ppl, including myself, are learning and fooling around with their ideas, trying to ''understand'' the concept of Software Engineering. I''m sure that most of the ppl do NOT understand what ''Software Engineering'' is all about in the first place. Just doublecheck how many comments are placed in the ''SE'' forum. Compared to the ''Game Programming'' or ''General Programming'' this is like nothing. Ask yourself why ?

Sure, I also talked about ppl who know their stuff. Of course they could also put their comments into the other forum but it just would be a great gain for others to learn.

Any criticism welcome


Lorenz

I''m sure if you have any beginner questions about Software Engineering noone is going to mind answering them in the Software Engineering forum. For Beginners is for total newbies, often people with no programming experience. Anyone interested in SE is not a total newbie and so Software Engineering is an appropriate forum for this.

The fact that there are few posts in SE doesn''t indicate that SE beginners shouldn''t post there. I''m sure the regulars to that forum would welcome new people asking correct ways to do things, although whether it would be useful for the beginners to have so many different (often quite heated) viewpoints on the subject is another matter.

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I''m sure if you have any beginner questions about Software Engineering noone is going to mind answering them in the Software Engineering forum.

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Of course you''re right that no beginner would be kicked out for asking newbie questions. But I''ll make sure to find out ''cause if there won''t be a forum like what I''m asking for, I''ll bomb that forum with questions until Magmai Kai Holmlor will ban me for good.

I''m not a native spreaker of english and maybe that was the problem why that expression "Software Engineering" always gave me an oversophisticated impression, but I checked Google and looked up definitions that were made so far. The following is what I found:

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Software Engineering Yellow Pages

... Therefore, for the purpose of the Software Engineering Yellow Pages (SEYP), Software Engineering is intended to mean the best-practice processes used to create and/or maintain software, whether for groups or individuals, in attempt to rid ourselves of the usual haphazard methods that have plagued the software industry. This would include subjects like Configuration Management, Project Planning, Project Tracking, Software Quality Assurance, Risk Management, Formal Inspections,
etc.

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Another page:

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Software Engineering is ...

NATO Science Committee
...promoting the establishment of theoretical foundations and practical disciplines for software, similar to those found in the established branches of engineering.
1967 (quoted by H.R. Berlack, ''''Software Configuration Management,'''' Wiley, 1992).

Fritz Bauer
The establishment and use of sound engineering principles in order to obtain economically software that is reliable and works efficiently on real machines.
NATO Science Committee Conference, 1969 (quoted by R.S. Pressman, ''''Software Engineering: A Practitioner''s Approach,'''' McGraw-Hill, 1997).

Morven Gentleman
The use of methodologies, tools, and techniques to resolve the practical problems that arise in the construction, deployment, support and evolution of software.
Institute for Information Technology, NRC Canada, 1990.

Stephen Schach
A discipline whose aim is the production of quality software, software that is delivered on time, within budget, and that satisfies its requirements..
Vanderbilt University, 1990 (in ''''Software Engineering,'''' Aksen Assoc., 1990).

IEEE Standard Glossary of Software Engineering Terminology
(1)The application of a systematic, disciplined, quantifiable approach to the development, operation, and maintenance of software; that is, the application of engineering to software.
(2)The study of approaches as in (1).
IEEE Std 610.12-1990, 1991.

CSA Information Technology Vocabulary
The systematic activities involved in the design, implementation and testing of software to optimize its production and support.
Canadian Standards Association, 1992.

Howard Johnson
What you do when you have two or more people working on a project.
Institute for Information Technology, NRC Canada, 1997.

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As I expected, it IS sophisticated. You see, you can''t really add up some beginners coding to concepts like that. It''s just not fitting.

And about beginners: Someone like me who has some years coding experience in C has a really hard time getting into C++. It''s like starting from scrap. Anybody can write software but almost nobody can write ''well thought'' code using OO (or the likes). So I do call myself a beginner of OO.

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The fact that there are few posts in SE doesn''t indicate that SE beginners shouldn''t post there.

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What I tried to point out was not that they shouldn''t post there, no, far simpler, they just do not post. Because they cannot handle SE and they don''t want to, at least not yet. Already the expression gives most ''beginners'' (not necessarily just programming beginners) a headache.

Maybe something much simpler than SE was intended, maybe even what I asked for and the forum name was chosen in an unlucky way.

To get to the point and the solution: Let''s say we two agree on your opinion that this "all-out coding posts" would fit there, how do we get ppl to participate ? The forum has to have a clear and striking name and definition. To be honest, the name I came up with "Code Evaluation" is as terrible as the old one. What would be a good name for the old forum if there were the chance to rename it ?

What do you think ?


Lorenz

Discussion of code design and consideration of various implementations is perfectly acceptable to me.

However, if you are going to ask such questions if would help if you ''do your homework'' and learn about the design ideology you are asking about. e.g. If you want to ask about OO design, you probably should know about Design Patterns, otherwise that''s the answer you''re going to get. If you want to know how to design your C program, then you ought to know about Structured Programming.

You''re welcome to ask questions about those topics as you learn about them, but I think it is too much to ask of the forum to have someone teach it all from scratch.


I think I''ll add this to the FAQ.