[Reading] They Write the Right Stuff

Fisherman (1996, "They Write the Right Stuff") talks about the "on-board shuttle group," a branch of Lockheed Martin Corps space mission systems division. He emphasises on the difference in the software code written in daily life against the 99.9% error-free code written by the world-renowned on-board shuttle group. What they write is described as 'Grown-up software', which is writing perfect software, not a software that is not just good enough.

The most enduring factor in this group is the team strength, the software or their outcome is not dependent on any individual programmer. They have regular team meetings, which seem to be religiously followed over years and this stresses the importance of team having a precise knowledge of the status of the rest of the team and other updates.

In this group, creativity is not encouraged in writing code (it being a mission critical purpose), but creativity is welcomed in the changing process. Process of writing the code identifies the quality of the output code. Documented proof for specs and changes to specs are very specifically followed by them, which means for them - Requirements are very clear (considered pseudo-code).

The team here believes that changes in requirements - leads to chaotic changes in codes - which introduces errors.

The team is split into - Coders (development team) and Verifiers (testing team).

Developers perform proof-reading to deliver error-free code, and testers try to identify as many errors as they can. There is a healthy competition going on which is delivering a robust end product.There are two enormous databases: one for code annotation, to detail every change to every line of code; another is the error database, for a record of every error in the code ever and its fix. This shows the importance they lay to recording and documenting every step, every solution, as a very useful document for future reference.

For every error, the process is also corrected, for having allowing the error to seep through it, as well as other possible situations with the error are identified and corrected immediately.

Accountability is a team concept, for every error, and every process. No single person is to blame for any error. If an error gets past a stage, all of the team is accountable for either not having identified it or having allowed it to pass onto the next stage. And they use the situation to identify other such errors that might have crept in.

Reliability of software not high in today's world. But the on-shuttle group have the advantage of a single product and single customer. Their software reliability is high as it needs to be, as they are writing code for space missions, where the smallest of errors are dangerous.

Reference:

Fishman, C. "They Write the Right Stuff". 1996