Programming Without Fear: Best Practices for New and Existing Software

Programming Without Fear

Best Practices for New and Existing Software

Seminar presented by the Greater Boston Chapter of the ACM

Writing new code is one of the joys of programming. Modifying existing code is often one of the nightmares of programming. Unfortunately, you will spend more time modifying existing code than writing new code.

Modifying existing code often results in Whac-A-Mole Programming - you make a change in one part of the code, and a problem crops up in another place. You fix that problem and two more pop up. You quickly find yourself trapped in debug hell!

There is a better way - a sane approach to dealing with both new code and legacy code. A framework for bringing order to code chaos, for making changes to existing code that are actually improvements. And this seminar provides a powerful approach to developing and modifying code.

In this seminar you will learn reliable, sustainable and enjoyable software development practices which you can immediately put to use. These techniques, first popularized in Extreme Programming (XP), have been proven, refined and extended for more than a decade. By using them you will produce working code faster, increase its quality, and reduce technical debt — the demon that snarls later development.

Presented by Gil Broza of 3PVantage, this seminar covers key areas including Code Smells, Refactoring, Microtesting, Test-Driven Development, Dependencies, and Test Smells. You will move from hacking at code - perhaps creating more problems than you solve - to code craftsmanship.

When: November 13-14, 2010
Where: MIT Building E51
Cambridge, MA

Price: $495 through October 13, $545 through October 31

Details: www.gbcacm.org

Thanks for your support!

Dear Asha patron,    Thanks to the enthusiastic support of donors like you, Work an Hour 2010 has been successful in raising close to $89,000 online and $16,000 in checks and other donations.   Honoring requests from patrons, the donation interface at www.workanhour.org will be open till the end of September. Please encourage your friends and colleagues to visit our website to know more about Asha and Work an Hour.   We thank you once again for your support to provide the underprivileged an Impetus to Succeed.   With warm regards, The WAH 2010 team

Last day of WAH 2010! Donate Now!

As the sun sets on the campaign ....... Dear Asha patron,   Today, we bring an end to the 13th annual Work an Hour campaign. Thanks to the support of generous donors like you, we have raised more than $79,000 so far. An additional $11,000 has been raised in checks and other donations. But we are still short of our target and we need your help.   We are in the last day of the campaign. Spare a minute. Donate Now!   .... let the rays of hope shine on.    13 Projects 28 Schools 2214 Children     Raised: $79,093   Goal: $200,000   Help Empower. Work an Hour.

Mail Checks to: 'Asha for Education', PO Box 1287, Princeton, NJ 08542. Mention 'WAH 2010' on the memo

Last 3 days of WAH 2010!

Dear Asha patron,   Through the last 8 weeks, we have showcased 13 projects which are making significant strides to empower underprivileged children in India and providing them an impetus to succeed. Thanks to the support of generous donors like you, we have raised more than $68,000 so far. But we are still short of our target and we need your help.   We are in the last three days of the campaign. A worthy cause, a perfect time. Donate Now!   13 Projects 28 Schools 2214 Children     Raised: $68,748   Goal: $200,000   Help Empower. Work an Hour.

Mail Checks to: 'Asha for Education', PO Box 1287, Princeton, NJ 08542. Mention 'WAH 2010' on the memo

Act now! Last week of WAH!

An Hour of your time is the key to their success ..... Greetings! Work an Hour (WAH) 2010 is in its last week of the campaign. Thanks to the support of generous donors, we have raised more than $62,000 so far. But we are still short of our target and need your help. Your support is crucial in supporting 2200+ children shape a better future. Just an hour's worth of your salary guarantees them a year of education. Best of all, it takes just a minute of your time to donate. A worthy cause, a perfect time. Donate Now!   13 Projects 28 Schools 2214 Children     Raised: $62,398   Goal: $200,000   Take a minute, Donate an hour, Change a Life...

Mail Checks to: 'Asha for Education', PO Box 1287, Princeton, NJ 08542. Mention 'WAH 2010' on the memo

Happy Teachers Day!

Happy Teachers Day

"A teacher affects eternity: he can never tell where his influence stops." - Henry B. Adams        13 projects 28 schools 2000+ students   wah@ashanet.org www.workanhour.org

Ever looked at an old class photo taken with a favorite teacher and wondered where you would be without him/her? Ever wondered how important guidance has been in shaping our future? These men and women have dediated their life to learning, paving the way and molding our existence. Our TEACHERS! They have transformed our lives through education and taught us the basics on which our success rests. Former president of India, Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam once said - 'A student spends 25,000 hours in the campus. The schools must have the best of teachers who have the ability to teach, love teaching and build moral qualities.' On September 5, as we celebrate Teachers Day and reflect on those who have influenced our lives, let us create the same experience that we cherished long, for the less fortunate.   Asha for Education, rated 4/4 by America's premier independent charity evaluator – Charity Navigator, has been working since 1991 to bridge the socio-economic disparities through education. Work An Hour (WAH), the annual fundraiser organized by Asha for Education, has made a difference to tens of thousands of marginalized children since 1998. In its 13th year, WAH 2010 has chosen 13 projects from all over India, addressing the issues of child labor, disabilities, and access to education. WAH 2010 sends 100% of your donation directly to the 28 schools and 2214 children supported by these projects. By contributing to WAH, you can bolster our commitment to bring hope to thousands of underprivileged children in India.  Donate now, share a Teachers Day Gift - the gift of education! With warm regards, Asha for Education

Mail Checks to: 'Asha for Education', PO Box 1287, Princeton, NJ 08542. Mention 'WAH 2010' on the memo

Tiny drops of water ......

"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world."   - Anne Frank      Prepare. Help Empower Work An Hour     13 projects 28 schools 2000+ students       Raised: $54,333 Goal: $200,000   Contact Info: wah@ashanet.org www.workanhour.org

Dear Asha patron, Education is the key to unlocking the door to socioeconomic change. Women and children with seemingly no way out of the cycle of poverty are given a chance by the means to educate themselves and better their lives. This year's Work An Hour Initiative funds many projects that bring the gift of education to the impoverished communities of India. This week, we highlight two innovative centers that serve communities in Manipur and Tamil Nadu helping them bridge the gap. SACSAS Academy The SACSAS Academy in the Laishoi and Maobam villages of Manipur influences change for the underprivileged and downtrodden children (up to the age of 8) that make up a large part of the community. Providing them with quality education , SACSAS Academy offers children a way out in areas where there is no formal schooling system. Generally the illiterate parents never feel the importance of getting their children quality education. SACSAS instills the habit of going to school  in children so that they will compel their parents to send them to schools in nearby villages once they are finished at SACSAS Academy. Read more. People's Action For Transformation (PAT) PAT provides a number of unique and innovative services for the slum community of Trichy in Tamil Nadu. It offers the women of the area micro-loans at reasonable interest rates along with guidance on financial management and other microfinance programs. Women put these loans to use by starting small enterprises or expanding their existing enterprise. The interest from these loans is used to fund the primary education and day care of the women's children. Read more about this circular pattern of operation which has enabled PAT to make large strides towards self-sustenance. WAH 2010 is in the last two weeks of its campaign.  We have a fair way to go. You can help us reach our target and continue supporting innovative projects that focus on socioeconomic change in India. Donate your hour now ... With warm regards, Asha for Education www.ashanet.org

Please mail checks to: 'Asha for Education', PO Box 1287, Princeton, NJ 08542. Mention 'WAH 2010' on the memo