Questions tagged [productivity]

Productivity is a measure of output from a production process, per unit of input.

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Productivity comparision FileNet versus WebSphere Process Server

On one project we are looking at where to implement workflows. Does anyone have experience with both FileNet and WPS (or know of any studies), that could say anything about the amount of effort ...
Shiraz Bhaiji's user avatar
137 votes
16 answers
7k views

Does craftsmanship pay off? [duplicate]

Possible Duplicates: Prototyping vs. Clean Code at the early stages Frankly, do you prefer Cowboy coding? After working in a number of companies, I am starting to realize that my commitment to ...
134 votes
25 answers
30k views

Is it "normal" for people to not work?

After graduating from college I was hired as a junior programmer a little over a year ago. I quickly noticed that I was degrees of magnitude faster than all the other programmers; this seems to be ...
36 votes
9 answers
9k views

Future proofing code

Where I work developers are always telling me that "I added this just in case for the future" or "I think it's a good idea to do this because they'll probably want it some day". I think it's great ...
John Shaft's user avatar
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36 votes
10 answers
3k views

How to convince manager to allow Stack Overflow

At my company we have strict limits on internet use. I often must use the poor mobile interface only for Stack Overflow. However, the site is very useful for work. How do I convince a manager to un-...
PRASHANT P's user avatar
4 votes
5 answers
839 views

How can I be more productive at work? (additional context inside) [closed]

I work at a larger startup with a maturing codebase. I've only worked here a few months. I have few issues to work on currently because we are near a release. I don't have many assigned issues / bugs ...
Shawn's user avatar
  • 535
6 votes
3 answers
2k views

How often do you review and validate your practices/process?

We currently drive changes to our process through the following mechanisms: Weekly wrap-up meeting Project postmortem We discuss what isn't working, what is working, etc. I use these settings to ...
snakehiss's user avatar
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13 votes
8 answers
3k views

What work intervals are more productive: short or long? [closed]

Which sessions of work are more productive for programming: short (<= 30 minutes), mid-length or long (>= 2 hours)? In which cases? (Consider coding new functionality, doing small modifications, ...
Alexey's user avatar
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16 votes
5 answers
806 views

Is Extreme Programming (XP) incompatible with ideas expressed in Peopleware?

I have just finished reading Peopleware (DeMarco, Lister) and have researched on Extreme Programming (XP) a little before. As I see it now, the two approaches are almost exclusive to each other. ...
Aleksandrs Ulme's user avatar
0 votes
6 answers
2k views

How do you make day to day work more fun? [closed]

I just read Flinging Fish for Fun and Profit, a short little essay on how Pike Place Market in Seattle turned to dwindling business into a success by making it fun. Obviously having fun at work is ...
Rob Mosher's user avatar
10 votes
2 answers
1k views

Does FitNesse improve product quality and collaboration? [closed]

I heard about a tool named FitNesse, which is supposed to promote better collaboration between development, testing, and product groups. What are your experiences with it? Does it really improve ...
RonK's user avatar
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9 votes
1 answer
358 views

How should one effectively use time at software conferences?

Microsoft (through the Student Insider program) has generously flown me out to Microsoft TechEd North America 2011. It seems like the website suggests that one should just make a schedule of the ...
Billy ONeal's user avatar
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5 votes
2 answers
737 views

Developing a Code Library

So I am in the middle of making (and maintaining) my own code library with quick snippets to make life easier. I'm assuming a lot of other people do this to help. My question is, what sort of things ...
MattyD's user avatar
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7 votes
4 answers
3k views

Is performance engineering a different specialization from general software development?

A major objective of software development is to focus on delivery of features implemented in good quality code. Knowledgeable developers are supposed to write software with good performance to the ...
rwong's user avatar
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12 votes
6 answers
2k views

How productive is an excellent developer compared to an average one? [duplicate]

I believe that I read somewhere that Google has a rule of thumb that an excellent developer is around 300 times more productive than an average one. Does anyone have any rules of thumb used by large ...
David's user avatar
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1 vote
11 answers
849 views

Writing code vs Figuring out the answer to a problem?

Why is writing code when you encounter a tricky problem considered "bad" programming practice? And why is thinking a problem completely through on paper or in your head before you write code "good" ? ...
Tejaswi Yerukalapudi's user avatar
19 votes
5 answers
839 views

Interested in a million things, have a million goals: how to choose what to focus on [closed]

I am currently working as a Web Application developer using .NET Technologies. I am interested in learning more about the technologies that I work with, but I am ALSO interested in a million other ...
donnovan9's user avatar
  • 219
4 votes
2 answers
524 views

I feel that my manager slows my work, how to deal with it? [closed]

It seems strange, but my manager sits right next to me and, well, when he isn't near, I feel free, and I'm planning, doing, etc, doing my work with flashes in the eyes, feel accomplishments. But ...
user avatar
13 votes
6 answers
3k views

How Do I Become a More Autonomous and Self-Sufficient Programmer? [closed]

The single largest factor in what is holding me back from being a stellar developer is my reliance on others. I feel like I ask too many questions because I fear the consequences of breaking ...
acconrad's user avatar
  • 405
2 votes
1 answer
3k views

Best way to create a web interface to query a particular database

I was asked to make a web application to allow users to query a particular database more easily. Simplifying, this database has only two tables, reports and products. The relationship between the two ...
Hobbes's user avatar
  • 123
12 votes
10 answers
818 views

Why does not thinking about a bug sometimes help you solve it? [closed]

Yesterday I spent a good part of the afternoon trying to fix a bug, which I thought to be trivial. I was going around in circles, not having a clue what was wrong. Rewriting large parts of the code. ...
Jeremy French's user avatar
2 votes
4 answers
243 views

Which is more valuable in product development: an action-oriented or visionary bent?

As a software development professional in a fairly conservative large-firm, I always had a much more action-oriented bent, as my job was fairly stable and all that mattered was doing as I was told and ...
Marc's user avatar
  • 339
9 votes
3 answers
2k views

How do you incorporate GTD into your daily programming tasks?

David Allen's "Getting Things Done" method seems to be a very useful way of organizing tasks and getting those tasks done. Has anyone here used GTD in their day-to-day programming tasks, and if so, ...
plaureano's user avatar
  • 1,241
29 votes
5 answers
18k views

Is programming in Python faster than in C, C++ or Java? [closed]

There's a widespread belief among programmers that the more dynamic and loosely typed the language, the more productive the programmer will be in it. Guido van Rossum wrote about programming ...
Kit Sunde's user avatar
  • 402
1 vote
3 answers
126 views

Product demo and .net

I have question about using .Net 3.5 or 4.0 I know that .Net is more productive then Qt but i am afraid of problems when my client leave my product because he cant run e.g demo of my app with lack of ...
userbb's user avatar
  • 169
2 votes
5 answers
500 views

Generate a productive environment when developers have different opinions

My question is simple. I'm a developer and work with another developer who's been here for many more years than I have. He has his opinion about implementing stuff; he's more of a do it yourself kind ...
Luca Matteis's user avatar
22 votes
14 answers
7k views

How many programming languages do you work with on a daily basis and how do you effectively manage language specific tasks [closed]

Edit: How do you manage individual tasks when working on multiple languages In day to day task handling, how many different programming languages do you work with? Do you make a mental shift when ...
3 votes
5 answers
409 views

improving IM communication skills

I am an email person, but found that at my new job, co-workers use IM a lot. I have to admit that I have been largely ignoring the IM/SMS as a way of communication by thinking it is only for teenagers....
user avatar
13 votes
11 answers
2k views

How can I get into "programmer mind" more quickly and more often? [duplicate]

There's a workflow I'm working on. It's so far been web forms filling databases with occasional writing configuration scripts for analysis instruments instruments, and I've written it all, in Perl, ...
Dave Jacoby's user avatar
3 votes
5 answers
403 views

Increase production by specifying a development computer

Interesting post by Seth Grodin by increasing productivity by specifying one device for work and one for everything else. Would you be more productive if you only programmed on one machine and forced ...
JeffO's user avatar
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7 votes
5 answers
408 views

Where is the golden mean between language monoculture and polyculture? [closed]

My company has been using Java (as a language and a platform) for many years. We have lots of products varying greatly in size, purpose and complexity. Whatever the requirements, the answer is always ...
Yuriy Zubarev's user avatar
4 votes
4 answers
555 views

How to choose the best approach when adding features/refactoring code

I've got a problem. I find really difficult to foresee the effect that my changes to the code will have over the whole application, either when I have to add new features or re-factor it. Very often ...
Fran Sevillano's user avatar
13 votes
10 answers
6k views

Effective methods for managing work tasks? (documenting/remembering/prioritizing) [closed]

I'm looking for suggestions on effective methods that I can use to document, remember and prioritize tasks at work. Many of the these tasks belong to a primary project, but they also exist for ...
Kaleb Brasee's user avatar
5 votes
6 answers
465 views

Keeping a project alive with a "skeleton crew"? Bad/good idea?

For political reasons, management seems intent on keeping a project progressing, but stripping away the most senior developers to perform other higher-priority tasks. Instead one more junior developer ...
Doug T.'s user avatar
  • 11.7k
3 votes
6 answers
169 views

Sticking to a Task vs Varying It

When you have several programming tasks to do at once, do you prefer to go through them one at a time, or to vary them, perhaps based on subtasks or on time? Why? For myself, I find that: Pros for ...
yodie's user avatar
  • 694
9 votes
6 answers
1k views

stuck on a programming problem solution [closed]

Let's say you get stuck on an solution for a while. What do you do? How do you get it solved? What is the best way to not feel frustated?
maz3tt's user avatar
  • 1,583
28 votes
8 answers
23k views

How to Structure Bonuses for Software Developers? [duplicate]

I am a software developer, and have been asked to define a bonus structure for myself by recommending the metrics that will determine my bonus. I think, once I have defined this bonus structure, there ...
campbelt's user avatar
  • 383
5 votes
12 answers
1k views

What do you do when one thinks the code isn't complicated enough? [closed]

After six months of development on a project, our stakeholders have had a "gut check" and have decided that the path that we've been walking (a custom designed application framework and data access ...
Chris's user avatar
  • 2,013
2 votes
4 answers
514 views

Technology/Programming mailing lists How do you manage? [closed]

Email Alerts, Blog /Forum updates, discussion subscriptions general programming/technology update emails that we often subscribe to.Do you actually read them ? or go direct to the source when you find ...
Aditya P's user avatar
  • 3,527
145 votes
30 answers
48k views

How many hours can you be really productive per day? How? [closed]

I find that I'm having a great deal of trouble staying alert 8 hours per day. I've heard of people who've negotiated work contracts of just 4 hours/day, arguing that they won't be able to do much more ...
4 votes
6 answers
684 views

How should I manage my time? [duplicate]

There are times when just one bug that keeps eating away your time like hell ... for example this one. I generally end up wasting hours and realize I've gone terribly behind my schedule and not ...
Tathagata's user avatar
  • 251
27 votes
7 answers
14k views

Python productivity VS Java Productivity

Over on SO I came across a question regarding which platform, Java or Python is best for developing on Google AppEngine. Many people were boasting of the increased productivity gained from using ...
toc777's user avatar
  • 451
8 votes
13 answers
3k views

Convince developer to use IDE [closed]

There is a developer, let's call him John (currently on probationary period) in company(pretty small company approx. 10 persons, 3 developers, one of them works long in this company know business ...
artjom's user avatar
  • 674
7 votes
4 answers
810 views

Interrupting Work Productivity: The Name? [closed]

Certainly it is a productivity killer when a developer is constantly interrupted by other workers, bosses, etc - but it is even worse when the developer is constantly interrupted by his or her own ...
Brent Arias's user avatar
27 votes
26 answers
3k views

Should managers prohibit programmers from using IM in office? [duplicate]

Possible Duplicate: Would you allow your programmers to use Messenger and social networks like Facebook? A manager may believe that using IM clients in the office is not acceptable, but many ...
30 votes
8 answers
1k views

What do you do to remain productive when working on your own? [closed]

I find working in isolation, on a piece of code that won't be seen by anyone else for weeks, draining. I'm looking for ideas to try to keep myself productive and motivated. What do you do to remain ...
blueberryfields's user avatar
16 votes
7 answers
1k views

Can't work on real projects because I keep thinking about my side projects

I have a "real" project I'm working on to make money from, and a side project that is vastly more interesting. I'm having a problem where every time I go to work on my "real" project, all I can ...
Brandon - Free Palestine's user avatar
3 votes
6 answers
2k views

Developer productivity Cobol versus C#

We are doing a cost benefit analysis on a migration project. It would be nice to be able to say that future changes will be x percent cheaper due to the migration. Does anyone have any experience or ...
Shiraz Bhaiji's user avatar
5 votes
7 answers
508 views

Should a .NET, JavaScript and SQL Web App developer learn Perl?

I'm a front and backend .NET web developer (most solutions use MS SQL Server) and I won't be using any non-MS solutions for a while. Will Perl be useful for situations that require scripting in an MS ...
StuperUser's user avatar
  • 6,123
5 votes
4 answers
4k views

What's the most productive coding environment

I was speaking with an ex-colleague the other day about the most productive way to write code and he said he found it best "to CIMP, or Code In My Pants". When I asked him exactly what he meant, he ...
Ubiguchi's user avatar
  • 153

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