Using Puesdo code and screengrabs for planning and estimation?

RicardoSmith

I always hate it when I get asked mid project to write puesdo code and dummy screen grabs both as a means for non-techies to "visualise" the application and also some "manager" to guesstimate how long development of a project will take.

Normally such documentation consumes a couple of days to do, and is only a snap shot of the application at one particular time. How do the rest of you deal with such requests, mid project?

davej

Use something like Rational Rose or XDE which integrates coding and documentation from the very beginning of the project.

davej

RicardoSmith

Is there anything like that for VB/VBA/ASP?

I've seen demos of some of the Rational products and didn't think much of them to be honest. But then I haven't used them first hand. Very agressive sales people though.

Kernel32

I normally use Use Case's to perform estimations. A Use Case is like a user story, after you create a use case you can assign a complexity level to it like say , simple, medium and complex, each one having a number of hours attached. Once you get some experience doing it, it can become very accurate. Use cases are part of UML, do some searching on google for them if you want more info.

If you are dealing with web based applications then why not just use a visual html editor such as frontpage or dreamweaver to do screen mockups, just as quick as anything else and also may be useful when you start coding.

Evil Phil

Screen grabs are a pain true but why not do a dummy app instead. Just something that gives no-techies the look and feel. It's returned some very important feedback for me when I've been designing GUI's. Give them a list of questions too - helps you to identify bottlenecks in user interaction and stuff like that.

As for guesstimating project time - did you not submit a design document for the project in question? Maybe you should and include a project schedule along side it. Works for me.

RicardoSmith

I've no problem with doing screengrabs and would normally have done a topology diagram of the project, but in this case its an R&D project thats turning into a development project. I'm still at the R&D stage about 90% done. But the client wants suddenly to look at mapping out the development schedule and functionality spec. Its a pain because I not in that "head space" at all. I'm still buried in coding and suddenly I have to stop that and change track and deal with some project planning and management issues. Its also a pain because I pointed out the lack of a comprehensive spec at the start of the project and but the client went ahead and guesstimated it anyway. I agreed with the timescale, but now after only 15% of the time has gone, the client is looking to pin everything down. Whereas I actually need another 5% timewise to get the R&D pinned down. The thing is once the R&D is done development should only take another 20% so I've left myself a lot of leeway. But even so I hate when you get squeesed like this for no reason. It will probably take me a lot long to finish the R&D if I'd just been left alone.

Typedef

Get yourself a shotgun and find that manager........

Tis the day of reckoning.

RicardoSmith

Originally posted by Typedef
Get yourself a shotgun and find that manager........

Tis the day of reckoning.

I like your thinking...

Hobbes

Sounds like what they want is Extreme Programming. That's pretty much the norm.

If you have the processes set up from the beginning it is a not as painful as it sounds and actually makes the customer feel better about the project (as they have some control over it's construction).

Rational products are pretty good for this sort of thing but cost a bit and may take more setting up/education then what you would of factored into your current timeframe.

Silent Bob

Originally posted by davej
Use something like Rational Rose or XDE which integrates coding and documentation from the very beginning of the project.

davej

You could try OPEN

It's cheaper than Rational products...

I've never used it but heard people claim it's better than RUP...