Monthly Archives: March 2024

Sprint-1 Retrospective

 I didn’t manage to achieve a whole lot in my 1st sprint, I mostly looked at the guest frontend and poked around Thea’s pantry. I’m going to make sure next sprint I actively work on the issues my team has in the backlog. 

The only change I made to the pantry was a branch in guestinfofrontend named add-linters that I was planning on adding the Alexjs linter to. Unfortunately I never got around to actually adding it, and it seems that the other teams have already handled the adding of linters to the project.

https://gitlab.com/LibreFoodPantry/client-solutions/theas-pantry/guestinfosystem/guestinfofrontend/-/tree/add-linters?ref_type=heads

Next sprint I plan on focusing on the inventory frontend and actually making and commiting changes. I do not want to let my team members do all the work.

From the blog CS@Worcester Alejandro Professional Blog by amontesdeoca and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

Sprint-1 Retrospective

 I didn’t manage to achieve a whole lot in my 1st sprint, I mostly looked at the guest frontend and poked around Thea’s pantry. I’m going to make sure next sprint I actively work on the issues my team has in the backlog. 

The only change I made to the pantry was a branch in guestinfofrontend named add-linters that I was planning on adding the Alexjs linter to. Unfortunately I never got around to actually adding it, and it seems that the other teams have already handled the adding of linters to the project.

https://gitlab.com/LibreFoodPantry/client-solutions/theas-pantry/guestinfosystem/guestinfofrontend/-/tree/add-linters?ref_type=heads

Next sprint I plan on focusing on the inventory frontend and actually making and commiting changes. I do not want to let my team members do all the work.

From the blog CS@Worcester Alejandro Professional Blog by amontesdeoca and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

Sprint #1 Retrospective

Achievements & Challenges

Reflecting on what worked well, one aspect was our organization. From the start, we established a strong foundation with clear and well-defined issues, allowing us to hit the ground running. The team demonstrated a balance between offering assistance and providing constructive feedback on each other’s work, creating a collaborative and supportive environment.

However, GitLab presented a learning curve that took us a bit longer to fully grasp and navigate. This resulted in occasional roadblocks, such as instances where work had already been done or where components were missing, requiring further elaboration. Recognizing these challenges is the first step toward overcoming them in future sprints. Another issue we faced and have already solved was our Sprint planning meeting, creating a more team-balanced approach. Originally, we had only one member creating issues as we talked about them. However, we realized this was not the best approach. For Sprint 2, we had each member create issues that we originally defined as a team. Then, we gave each member a chance to talk about their issues, how they plan to work on them, and if any improvements/clarifications would be needed.

On the team improvement front, our collective strength shone, especially when tackling potential ideas for more challenging tasks ahead. Moving forward, we aim to enhance our coordination by implementing more frequent check-ins. This approach will ensure that no team member is too far ahead, behind, or engaged in incorrect work, establishing a system of checks and balances within the team dynamic. Another improvement that will benefit the team as these issues begin to become longer and more challenging is more team-based work. After reviewing other teams’ work in the first sprint, I noticed multiple issues where more than one team member was working on an issue. This step will allow more time and a second pair of eyes on an issue, improving our productivity and furthering our ability to tackle an issue simultaneously.

Individually, I’ve identified areas for improvement that will contribute to both personal and team success. Managing time more effectively is a key focus, acknowledging that optimizing productivity requires a strategic approach to time mangement. Additionally, recognizing the importance of communication, especially on off days, will be crucial in maintaining a good workflow. The goal is to avoid getting too ahead of myself and attempting to tackle everything simultaneously. This includes refraining from taking on multiple issues beyond what is required, ensuring a more measured and sustainable workflow.

GitLab Work

https://gitlab.com/LibreFoodPantry/client-solutions/theas-pantry/documentation/-/issues/10

Description: In my individual assessment above, I recognized a mistake in attempting to tackle more than necessary. While working on issue #1, I unintentionally delved into other topics. In an effort to make the branch more user-friendly, I decided to combine these three separate issues into a single, comprehensive one. This new issue provides clear documentation for each step involved.

https://gitlab.com/LibreFoodPantry/client-solutions/theas-pantry/documentation/-/issues/10

Description: This issue involved a straightforward review of the existing documentation. The focus was on ensuring the pipeline’s smooth operation by confirming the correct properties. Additionally, unnecessary extensions and linters were eliminated to simplify and optimize the documentation.

From the blog CS@Worcester – CS: Start to Finish by mrjfatal and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

Sprint-1 Retrospective

 I didn’t manage to achieve a whole lot in my 1st sprint, I mostly looked at the guest frontend and poked around Thea’s pantry. I’m going to make sure next sprint I actively work on the issues my team has in the backlog. 

The only change I made to the pantry was a branch in guestinfofrontend named add-linters that I was planning on adding the Alexjs linter to. Unfortunately I never got around to actually adding it, and it seems that the other teams have already handled the adding of linters to the project.

https://gitlab.com/LibreFoodPantry/client-solutions/theas-pantry/guestinfosystem/guestinfofrontend/-/tree/add-linters?ref_type=heads

Next sprint I plan on focusing on the inventory frontend and actually making and commiting changes. I do not want to let my team members do all the work.

From the blog CS@Worcester Alejandro Professional Blog by amontesdeoca and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

Sprint-1 Retrospective

 I didn’t manage to achieve a whole lot in my 1st sprint, I mostly looked at the guest frontend and poked around Thea’s pantry. I’m going to make sure next sprint I actively work on the issues my team has in the backlog. 

The only change I made to the pantry was a branch in guestinfofrontend named add-linters that I was planning on adding the Alexjs linter to. Unfortunately I never got around to actually adding it, and it seems that the other teams have already handled the adding of linters to the project.

https://gitlab.com/LibreFoodPantry/client-solutions/theas-pantry/guestinfosystem/guestinfofrontend/-/tree/add-linters?ref_type=heads

Next sprint I plan on focusing on the inventory frontend and actually making and commiting changes. I do not want to let my team members do all the work.

From the blog CS@Worcester Alejandro Professional Blog by amontesdeoca and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

Sprint-1 Retrospective

 I didn’t manage to achieve a whole lot in my 1st sprint, I mostly looked at the guest frontend and poked around Thea’s pantry. I’m going to make sure next sprint I actively work on the issues my team has in the backlog. 

The only change I made to the pantry was a branch in guestinfofrontend named add-linters that I was planning on adding the Alexjs linter to. Unfortunately I never got around to actually adding it, and it seems that the other teams have already handled the adding of linters to the project.

https://gitlab.com/LibreFoodPantry/client-solutions/theas-pantry/guestinfosystem/guestinfofrontend/-/tree/add-linters?ref_type=heads

Next sprint I plan on focusing on the inventory frontend and actually making and commiting changes. I do not want to let my team members do all the work.

From the blog CS@Worcester Alejandro Professional Blog by amontesdeoca and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

Sprint-1 Retrospective

 I didn’t manage to achieve a whole lot in my 1st sprint, I mostly looked at the guest frontend and poked around Thea’s pantry. I’m going to make sure next sprint I actively work on the issues my team has in the backlog. 

The only change I made to the pantry was a branch in guestinfofrontend named add-linters that I was planning on adding the Alexjs linter to. Unfortunately I never got around to actually adding it, and it seems that the other teams have already handled the adding of linters to the project.

https://gitlab.com/LibreFoodPantry/client-solutions/theas-pantry/guestinfosystem/guestinfofrontend/-/tree/add-linters?ref_type=heads

Next sprint I plan on focusing on the inventory frontend and actually making and commiting changes. I do not want to let my team members do all the work.

From the blog CS@Worcester Alejandro Professional Blog by amontesdeoca and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

Sprint-1 Retrospective

 I didn’t manage to achieve a whole lot in my 1st sprint, I mostly looked at the guest frontend and poked around Thea’s pantry. I’m going to make sure next sprint I actively work on the issues my team has in the backlog. 

The only change I made to the pantry was a branch in guestinfofrontend named add-linters that I was planning on adding the Alexjs linter to. Unfortunately I never got around to actually adding it, and it seems that the other teams have already handled the adding of linters to the project.

https://gitlab.com/LibreFoodPantry/client-solutions/theas-pantry/guestinfosystem/guestinfofrontend/-/tree/add-linters?ref_type=heads

Next sprint I plan on focusing on the inventory frontend and actually making and commiting changes. I do not want to let my team members do all the work.

From the blog CS@Worcester Alejandro Professional Blog by amontesdeoca and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

Sprint retrospective

Our team has reflected on our recent project experiences and identified areas where we can strengthen our collaboration to improve project outcomes. Here’s a breakdown of what worked well and what didn’t, along with proposed changes for improvement:

Successes:

  • We successfully completed a significant portion (75%) of small tasks.
  • Our meetings were productive, fostering meaningful discussions.
  • Communication among team members was clear and effective.

Challenges:

  • Difficulty with Docker-compose and documentation tasks due to inaccurate task weighting.
  • Essential details were not easily accessible, often buried within overarching epics.
  • Task distribution among team members was uneven.
  • Overreliance on one team member for handling GitLab logistics.
  • Limited collaborative assistance on individual issues.

Proposed Team Improvements:

  • Foster a culture of teamwork by encouraging mutual assistance on tasks.
  • Assign task weights more accurately based on lessons learned from previous sprints.
  • Improve team proficiency with GitLab and provide support as needed.
  • Ensure that issue details are readily accessible within individual tasks.
  • Distribute task assignments more evenly among team members.

Proposed Individual Improvements:

  • Communicate problems to teammates or the professor promptly for timely resolution.

From the blog CS@Worcester – THE SOLID by isaacstephencs and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

Breakable Toys Individual Apprenticeship Pattern

This week for CS448 – Capstone, I read about the “Breakable Toys” Individual Apprenticeship Pattern; while I did not know it when I selected this pattern, it relates back to two other patterns I analyzed earlier in the semester: “The White Belt” and “Confront Your Ignorance”.

The “Breakable Toys” pattern encourages craftsmen working in high-risk environments intolerant of failure to create personal projects, referred to as ‘Breakable Toys’. These projects are typically smaller in scope but similar in toolset to work systems, providing a safe space for experimentation and learning through failure. The pattern advises building tools like wikis, calendars, or address books, which may be overengineered but allow for trying new ideas without significant consequences. Given the book’s original publishing in 2009 and the progression and advancement of technology/platforms since then, other tools and platforms may be more applicable and resources like Git make tracking and controlling versions easy.

The focus is on personal growth, skill development, and enjoying the learning process, ultimately fostering a deeper understanding of tools and encouraging continuous improvement. In this way, this pattern is similar to “The White Belt” and “Confront Your Ignorance”, but focuses on building off of prior knowledge in a low-stress environment rather than ignoring it.

I really enjoyed reading about this pattern and its benefits as it is one of my favorites to implement – actually, while reading it I realized how many skills I have picked up using this method. As an individual, when I learn new skills/tools I naturally want to practice them and their non-instructed limitations as well as just generally play around. While a lot of what I learn may not be directly related to my initial task, I usually pick up a few things that are unbelievably useful later on and give me an advantage in addressing challenges.

The clearest example of this which comes to mind immediately is learning Apache POI and PDFBox early in my Computer Science degree/education. I had a lot of experience with basic Microsoft Office applications and was beginning to understand the power of OOP through my Java learning, so the summer after my first semester I decided to learn how to connect the two. By the end of my project, I was confident in reading/manipulating data from Excel, generating new files or report generation, format text and images in PDF documents, and more. All of this was possible because I took it upon myself to research and create my own “breakable toy” environment to learn in.

Sources: Hoover, Dave, and Adewale Oshineye. “Apprenticeship Patterns: Guidance for the Aspiring Software Craftsman.” O’Reilly Media, 2009.

From the blog CS@Worcester – Tech. Worth Talking About by jelbirt and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.