[svlug] ACCU meeting on Wednesday

[Walter Vannini]

REMINDER: This month's meeting will again be hosted by
VMware in Palo Alto.

When:      Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Topic:     To Catch a Bug, You Have to Think Like a Bug
Speaker:   Bob Evans
Time:      7:00pm
Where:     VMware
                3210 Porter Drive
                Palo Alto, CA 94304
               (Please don't go to the other VMware building
                on the same street.)
Map:       <http://tinyurl.com/3965zb>
Cost:      Free
More Info: <http://www.accu-usa.org>

Commercial software is infested with bugs. You, the
developer, are the exterminator. "Unit testing is a great
way to stop bugs," you're told. Managers are even starting
to mandate unit testing. However, it's just a tool. Many
think it's too complicated and that it adds development
time. How can it stop bugs? It can't on its own and it has
to be used properly.

Of all the tools available to you, the least understood, the
least discussed, but the most powerful, is the lowly
assertion statement found in any unit testing
framework. Assertions are a tool for talking about code,
which is where bugs live. Assertions make it easy to think
like bugs, and therefore they make it easy to trap bugs. The
session will show how to examine code and trap bugs
effectively and systematically with a simple, comprehensive
plan using assertions. You'll also learn how to avoid laying
traps for yourself in the future. You will be able to test
your code as deeply and completely as you need or want and
you'll know how complete your tests are. Best of all, you
will minimize the development time necessary to get your
code right.

Bob Evans has over 10 years experience building
Object-Oriented applications and tools in diverse fields
such as network management, and finance. Currently, he
researches and develops new testing tools for developers at
Agitar Software <http://www.agitar.com/>. As well as being
the winner of multiple Jolt Awards for their product
AgitarOne, Agitar has just introduced the JUnit Factory
<http://www.junitfactory.com/>, a free test generator
site. Previously, Bob worked on JBuilder at Borland Software
Corporation.

He has spoken at SD West, Java One, and the Agile
Development Conference. His goal is to make developers more
productive and to make computers easier for everyone to use
by creating more powerful tools, while at the same time
indulging his love of programming languages.

Upcoming ACCU talks

June 20, 2007
Matt Austern
Topic TBD

The ACCU meets monthly. To suggest topics and speakers
please email Walter Vannini via walterv at gbbservices.com

Walter Vannini
<http://www.accu-usa.org/>
<http://www.gbbservices.com/>