The blog “Test Driven Development: The Best Thing That Has Happened to Software Design” explains the benefits of using Test Driven Development  in software development. It describes the focus on writing tests before writing the code, it emphasizes on how this approach will enhance software design, increase code quality, and allow for easier maintainability. The post highlights Test Driven Development’s ability to shift focus towards desired software behavior. I chose this blog post due to its relevance to the recently covered topics in class as well as how it can apply in writing better code. Test Driven Development is a topic that we just covered in class and I found it very interesting to see its uses and benefits.. Additionally, I am using this style of code in my CS-497 class which allowed me to further get hands-on experience with how Test Driven Development works.

After reading the blog post, I agreed with many of the points raised by the author of the blog. I found the idea of writing the tests first as a foundation of code construction seems like a great idea as when you are writing code you know how you want it to work which is how you will write the tests to make it pass. Once you have the tests you can write the code that will allow the tests that you have already created to pass. The idea of problem-solving to make the tests pass rather than troubleshooting seems like an efficient way of coding. The author highlighted an aspect of Test Driven Development that I found very beneficial as it can highly increase efficiency is how creating the tests first gives you better insight on how your code is not working properly. If you are getting the wrong output making your test fail you will know how to fix it better than without having that test in place.

This blog post allowed me to consider different aspects of solutions for coding because different styles have different benefits while developing  software. In addition, it reinforced the importance of writing clean, concise code and underscored the significance of thorough testing which are also key aspects of this class.Moving forward, I would like to and plan to incorporate the style of Test Driven Development more into my coding practices. By focusing first on test creation and then writing the code to make the tests pass, I can aim to enhance the efficiency and quality of my code. In conclusion, I believe that using Test Driven Development will increase my workflow and coding skills that will be beneficial not only in this class but potentially for the rest of my career.

https://www.thoughtworks.com/en-us/insights/blog/test-driven-development-best-thing-has-happened-software-design

From the blog CS@Worcester – Giovanni Casiano – Software Development by Giovanni Casiano and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

The blog post highlights the qualities as well as the differences between these two types of testing, static testing and dynamic testing. I chose this blog post because as this course covers software quality assurance and testing as well as the fact that we have spent time in class covering these two types of testing I believe that this blog post is able to highlight and reinforce core concepts that will be able to assist in gaining further knowledge withing this class. In addition, the blog post is able to explain the information regarding static and dynamic testing in a simple and easy to understand format that further compliments the idea of using this blog post as a resource to reinforce these topics.

The blog post as previously discussed covers static testing vs dynamic testing. We learn that static testing involves testing the code without actually running it while dynamic testing involves running the code to test it’s outcomes through various testing circumstances. From those two descriptions we can tell how static testing relies on testing through software documentation as well as the design of the code itself. However, dynamic testing is able to execute the program allowing the testers to test how the code will work in an assortment of testing scenarios. This concept allows testers to see how the code will work once it is released to the public to verify that it works as intended. These two types of testing are very different in their methods of achieving a successful test. Static testings wants to identify problems and improve on them early in development while dynamic testing wants to validate the performance and functionality of the code once it is in a executable state. Since they have different intents your requirements for the project is what determines what testing you will choose.

From what I have learned from the blog post I believe it was very helpful and was able to reinforce core concepts that will help me further in this class. I believe learning more about static and dynamic testing will help me when it comes to working in this class as well as assist in knowing how to test in a professional setting. Knowing the core differences between the two will allow me to know what type of testing will be best for certain circumstances when it comes to projects. In conclusion, this blog post was very helpful and will be utilized in the future.

https://testsigma.com/blog/static-testing-and-dynamic-testing

From the blog CS@Worcester – Giovanni Casiano – Software Development by Giovanni Casiano and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

The blog I chose was “Will AI Replace Manual Testers?” by Thijs Kok. The blog post highlighted the importance of testing for software development and the role that AI plays. I chose this blog for two reasons, one due to the fact that we recently discussed the types of testing in software development. The other reason being the rise of artificial intelligence popularity in the software and technology field. I thought this blog was able to highlight one of the main fears that people who are studying computer science or people who are already in the field have when it comes to artificial intelligence. This fear being is artificial intelligence going to be able to take over our jobs. We have seen just what artificial intelligence is able to do through a multitude of examples showcasing just how advanced the AI is when it comes to solving programming problems. For those reasons, that is why I chose this blog because I thought it would be interesting if AI could take over this aspect of the jobs we want.

The blog post started off by acknowledging the power AI has right now throughout the world and how the tech field is no exception. The author described three ways how AI is already being utilized within the software testing scope. These ways being test case generation through, test case execution and test result analysis. The blog post ended with the overall question, will artificial intelligence replace testers? The conclusion that the author reached was, no, “While AI can automate specific testing aspects, it cannot entirely replace human testers. The cognitive skills, creativity, problem-solving abilities, and emotional intelligence that human testers bring to the table are irreplaceable”. The author stated that even though AI can be very powerful it can be seen more as an enhancement rather than a replacement.

My overall take from this blog post is the importance in understanding how AI works and how to integrate to use it as a tool for the future. While we can’t use the AI to just do the work for us it can be a helpful asset that will make the job easier allowing us to focus our efforts on more important matters, things that the AI otherwise could not handle. I believe that the blog post was a great piece that anyone could read and take away various insights from. For example, it was able to downplay people’s fears on AI taking over as well as teaching people how to use it to their benefit allowing integrations for the future.

https://www.testmonitor.com/blog/will-ai-replace-manual-testers

From the blog CS@Worcester – Giovanni Casiano – Software Development by Giovanni Casiano and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

In class, we had the in class activity about inclusive and insensitive writing. This assignment was able to open our eyes on vocabulary choices that we didn’t even notice as being potentially harmful to others that might be reading our work. This got me thinking about if anyone else has been using the Alex JS linter and if they have posted anything about their feedback and experience while using it. From my searching I found a blog post called, “Refactoring condescending language with alexjs” by Suzanne Aitchison. This blog focused on their experience with the Alex JS linting tool and what led them to start thinking about their use of words and tone when writing their work.

The blog started with what got them thinking about their use of tone and content when writing . They mentioned how they were told to focus on words such as “easy” and “simply” because to some people the task at hand might not be so simple or easy to them which can be very discouraging and have them lose motivation. The Alex JS linter focuses on, “gender favoring, polarizing, race related, religion inconsiderate, or other unequal phrasing in text” which covers most of the types of insensitive ways of writing. In the author’s experience when they used it on their own work they had 104 warning of insensitive writing that all fell into common groups. Which happened to be the use of “easily”, “simply” and “just” which we now know is insensitive to people who may not find certain tasks easy. In addition, they also ran into one of the negatives of the linter which is false positives. In this case, it was flagging words like “color” and “special” which fall under the list of insensitive language however in this context it was not. Their takeaway from working with Alex was that their default way of writing will need some work that can be taken as insensitive and Alex is a tool that helps them in making their work more inclusive.

After reading Suzanne Aitchison’s blog, I found the reading very helpful because it further pushed me in the right direction of working with more inclusive language as well as pointing out things that I did not catch when we were working on our exclusivity activity in class. I feel like as we progress as a society and we are working on becoming more inclusive tools like Alex JS will be very helpful. When we first started the in class activity I didn’t see a problem with some of the flagged words however after seeing why they were being flagged as well as reading the blog I am increasingly understanding how certain words can be taken from those that come from other backgrounds than I do. My main takeaway from this will be working on using more inclusive language and making sure that my work can be taken in a positive note from whoever reads it.

https://dev.to/s_aitchison/refactoring-condescending-language-with-alexjs-3ifp

From the blog CS@Worcester – Giovanni Casiano – Software Development by Giovanni Casiano and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

One of the most important aspects of code is to make sure that others who work on or are reading your code can understand what is happening. In class, we have been discussing clean code and improving readability which is where the correlation comes into play which is what inspired me to read further onto the fine details of what entails good code documentation. The blog post I chose for this week’s post was “Shaping better software: The benefits of effective code documentation” by Anabelle Zaluski. The goal of the post was to discuss the importance of having good code documentation and what qualifies as good code documentation.

The blog post starts off with explaining why code documentation is very important as it is like a map for your code. Good code documentation is what allows people to navigate your code effectively and efficiently. According to Zaluski the main information that should be included to qualify as effective code documentation is: “Dos and Don’ts, Clear explanations of each aspect of the application, Illustrative images, including sequence and entity relationship diagrams, and API documentation explaining each class, method, and return value”. She then explained the different types of code documentation as internal, external, low-level, walk through and high-level. With the end of the post explaining the benefits and challenges of implementing good code documentation into your team’s work routine. Some of the benefits included improving team collaboration, supporting maintenance and bug fixing, as well as increasing organizational growth. However, some of the challenges mentioned were staying up to date, managing documentation of non-linear code, and knowing how to document things for various knowledge levels.

I chose this blog post since we have been discussing what clean code is and why we should be using it in our own work. Due to that I thought this blog post was perfect to allow me to connect other ways I should be working to improve the quality of my work. To me this blog post was a very useful lesson reinforcing key points about documentation as well as teaching me aspects that I was unaware of. As we are learning more and more about how to structure our code to improve the quality as well as the efficiency of our team based code. From this blog, I feel like I will be able to implement the strategies and qualities mentioned for good code documentation to improve how I document my work in the future.

https://www.notion.so/blog/code-documentation

From the blog CS@Worcester – Giovanni Casiano – Software Development by Giovanni Casiano and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

From the previous week’s we have been covering the different types of software copyright licenses and their differing purposes in the field. The blog post I chose to cover is “Understanding Software Licensing” by Fernando Galano. The goal of the blog post was to help simplify the legalities of differing software copyright licenses as well as expressing the importance of understanding copyright licenses and why you should know when to use the different kinds. From what we learned in class, from the videos as well as our in class activities, the blog post worked hand in hand in reinforcing the pros and cons of the different copyright licenses to give a better grasp on the topic.

The blog post started with what a software copyright license exactly is. Galano described the concept of a software license is the establishment of a contract between the creators of the software and the individuals who would be using it. The contract would lay out the terms and conditions that the user must follow when it comes to use of the code as well as the rights and liabilities of the user and creator. As explained in the post, the license will protect both parties and make sure that the use of the software is as intended from both the creator and user. After Galano described the preemptive information about what a license is he explained the different types and their pros and cons. He described Public Domain Licenses, Copyleft Licenses, Lesser General Public Licenses, Permissive Licenses and Proprietary Software Licenses. Each license had a almost like tldr description that allowed the reader to easily understand what each license is meant for. He ended the blog post stating that every license has a purpose and it is up to you as the creator to decide what your purpose is for the software and what you want it to be used for.

The reason I chose this blog post was due to the fact that while we have been covering copyright licenses I feel like I still didn’t fully grasp the differences and when you should use each kind of license. This blog post was perfect in using simple terms to allow me to easily understand the different kinds of software licenses and their differing uses. From this I will now be able to one hundred percent understand why I am choosing a certain license when it comes to protecting my work. I feel like reinforcing my knowledge on items like this is very important as copyright licenses are a huge part of developing software.

https://www.bairesdev.com/blog/understanding-software-licensing/

From the blog CS@Worcester – Giovanni Casiano – Software Development by Giovanni Casiano and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

The podcast episode, “Scrum vs Agile & Keys to Success with Mike Cohn,” discusses the ways to succeed using the Agile methodology and how to work with the Scrum Guide to create an efficient plan for your team. I selected this episode because I believe that one of the major aspects of creating an efficient team is the steps you take to complete your work. To do that, you must follow a methodology to create a plan to complete your goal. In class, we learned about Agile and the advantages it had over waterfall, so listening to a podcast about Agile was very intriguing. The episode emphasizes that you don’t have to adhere to the Scrum Guide as if it were a rule book, and that you have to work with your team to find out what aspects of the guide work best within the team to allow for maximum efficiency. This is a big mistake that many people make because they are scared of “breaking the rules.” However, this is something that one must be able to do if they want to elevate their work to the next level. From this, I thought the podcast was very interesting since we recently learned about these methods in class. In class, we discussed the steps of Agile and the benefits it has compared to the waterfall methodology that we learned about prior. In addition, we also learned about the Scrum Guide, where we were taught the aspects as well as the elements that the Scrum Guide highlights to help users understand Scrum. From our work, we were shown that you are allowed to deviate from the Scrum Guide; it is just a basic framework to help users put the steps in an effective order. After the episode, I believe that it gave valuable insights on how these methods work in real company settings, highlighting how you don’t have to follow the guide to a tee and you must find out what works best for your team to allow for the most efficient work. Plus, through the discussion of real-world examples, it promoted further thinking about what we learned in class as well as how to connect the ideas we were taught to work experiences. Once it comes time for me to apply this to my work, it will be helpful to understand that the Scrum Guide is not a rule book but a guide to take aspects from to assist in efficient teamwork.

From the blog CS@Worcester – Giovanni Casiano – Software Development by Giovanni Casiano and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.