MTU Library Catalogue

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The limits of software : people, projects, and perspectives / Robert N. Britcher.

By: Britcher, Robert N.
Material type: materialTypeLabelBookPublisher: Reading, Mass. : Addison-Wesley, 1999Description: xxv, 214 p. ; 23 cm. + pbk.ISBN: 0201433230.Subject(s): Computer softwareDDC classification: 005.3
Contents:
Part I -- Early systems -- Theories of programming -- The human element -- Designing -- Code: the stuff of programs -- Testing computer systems -- The impossible profession -- Life on the project -- Supervision through language -- How technology changes methods -- Size and intellectual gravity -- The marketing of science -- Errors -- The one great system -- The government of programming -- The system to end all -- The end-all of programming.

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

"Looking at the current software development environment, The Limits of Software explores how technology changes methods and how today's market demands affect software development. This book also examines the many forces behind the current push for the development of the "one great system."" "In this extraordinary book, Britcher offers a long-standing insider's perspective on the past and present of the computer industry, complete with its many foibles and achievements. He looks to the future with both optimism and trepidation, hoping that the industry can accomplish real gains while reaching for worthwhile goals."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Includes bibliographical references (pages 211-213).

Part I -- Early systems -- Theories of programming -- The human element -- Designing -- Code: the stuff of programs -- Testing computer systems -- The impossible profession -- Life on the project -- Supervision through language -- How technology changes methods -- Size and intellectual gravity -- The marketing of science -- Errors -- The one great system -- The government of programming -- The system to end all -- The end-all of programming.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

  • Foreword (p. ix)
  • Prologue (p. xiii)
  • Part I
  • 1. Early Systems (p. 3)
  • 2. Theories of Programming (p. 17)
  • 3. The Human Element (p. 29)
  • 4. Designing (p. 35)
  • 5. Code: The Stuff of Programs (p. 49)
  • 6. Testing Computer Systems (p. 57)
  • 7. The Impossible Profession (p. 67)
  • 8. Life on the Project (p. 79)
  • Part II
  • 9. Supervision Through Language (p. 89)
  • 10. How Technology Changes Methods (p. 101)
  • 11. Size and Intellectual Gravity (p. 111)
  • 12. The Marketing of Science (p. 121)
  • 13. Errors (p. 133)
  • 14. The One Great System (p. 141)
  • 15. The Government of Programming (p. 149)
  • 16. The System to End All (p. 163)
  • 17. The End-All of Programming (p. 191)
  • Afterword (p. 199)
  • Reading List (p. 211)

Author notes provided by Syndetics

Robert N. Britcher is retired from IBM. The author of numerous articles and papers on software, he teaches about software, systems engineering, and management at Johns Hopkins University.