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Image from Amazon
Title: The Essence of Software Engineering: Applying the SEMAT Kernel
Author(s): Ivar Jacobson, Pan-Wei Ng, Paul E. McMahon, Ian Spence, and Svante Lidman
Publisher: Addison-Wesley Professional
Category: Project Management, Process and Best Practices


Summary

Addison-Wesley Professional wrote:SEMAT (Software Engineering Methods and Theory) is an international initiative designed to identify a common ground, or universal standard, for software engineering. It is supported by some of the most distinguished contributors to the field. Creating a simple language to describe methods and practices, the SEMAT team expresses this common ground as a kernel–or framework–of elements essential to all software development.
The Essence of Software Engineering introduces this kernel and shows how to apply it when developing software and improving a team’s way of working. It is a book for software professionals, not methodologists. Its usefulness to development team members, who need to evaluate and choose the best practices for their work, goes well beyond the description or application of any single method.

"Software is both a craft and a science, both a work of passion and a work of principle. Writing good software requires both wild flights of imagination and creativity, as well as the hard reality of engineering tradeoffs. This book is an attempt at describing that balance."
—Robert Martin (unclebob)

"The work of Ivar Jacobson and his colleagues, started as part of the SEMAT initiative, has taken a systematic approach to identifying a ‘kernel’ of software engineering principles and practices that have stood the test of time and recognition."
—Bertrand Meyer

"The software development industry needs and demands a core kernel and language for defining software development practices—practices that can be mixed and matched, brought on board from other organizations; practices that can be measured; practices that can be integrated; and practices that can be compared and contrasted for speed, quality, and price. This thoughtful book gives a good grounding in ways to think about the problem, and a language to address the need, and every software engineer should read it."
—Richard Soley




Book Preview (when available)



From the publisher
  • Chapter 8: Planning an Iteration (HTML or PDF)



  • Where to get it?
  • Amazon.com
  • InformIT



  • Related Websites
  • An Interview with Ivar Jacobson on InformIT
  • Website: Ivar Jacobson International
  • Website: SEMAT
  • COMMENTS:
     
    author & internet detective
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    Rating: I give this book 10 out of 10 horseshoes.

    "The Essence of Software Engineering - Applying the SEMAT Kernel" looks to be a classic one day. Not today of course because it just came out. But one day.

    SEMAT stands for Software Engineering Methods and Theory. Don't let the word "theory" scare you. It's not a book about theory. It's a way of looking at software. All projects have some things in common. Using a common language to describe them and looking at key concepts (alphas) makes for better software. The book is geared to software professionals and students. With a goal of making for better developers. And SEMAT isn't done. They are incremental releasing supporting products through 2014.

    I liked the parts about practices more than the kernel - I think because it was more concrete. The kernel does raise key points though. Some of which we take for granted and some of which we forget about.

    The cards and checklists are useful. Did I mention the cards? They are quite prevalent in the book. I wish it said where to buy them.

    I particularly liked the chapter on scaling. It didn't just cover scaling volume. It also covered zooming in and reaching out to others.

    It will be interesting to see if SEMAT catches on. But even it doesn't, the key points still matter and it is worth the read.


    ---
    Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for writing this review on behalf of CodeRanch.

    More info at Amazon.com

    Review migrated from old book review post
     
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    Rating: I give this book 9 out of 10 horseshoes.


    This Book particularly is about the software engineering process standard (and theoretical aspects behind it) called SEMAT (Software Engineering Method and Theory) initiated a few years ago.

    The book as a whole explains the elements of the SEMAT kernel and how they fit in to the various stages of the software development life cycle. .

    It begins with an introduction to the SEMAT kernel, taking a typical software development approach as an example (makes it easier for someone who's new to the concept to understand) to illustrate the concepts behind the SEMAT kernel. Good to see that the chapters are organized in to small number of pages and key elements are explained with various graphics/diagrams and proper descriptions.

    Book describes some of the most important parts of the kernel; alphas, their states, checklists and the ability to extend the kernel to define/construct methods of your own. The book also describes even the minor characteristics that most teams do not worry about but critical to the success which are actually an important part of the SEMAT kernel itself. It also describes how the approach can be adapted from small scale to large scale development in later chapters.

    What looks good about the SEMAT concept is that it lets the user create/customize their own process still being based on the SEMAT kernel.

    As the SEMAT concept is still at early stages of its life, this will be an excellent introduction for both practitioners and academic studies as a guide to explore the principles of an emerging standard.


    ---
    Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for writing this review on behalf of CodeRanch.

    More info at Amazon.com

    Review migrated from old book review post
     
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