Improving Software

Here is a template I use as a development manager. Please note that the categories are mandated by the company and are scored on a 1-5 scale (5 is highest) and then averaged for an overall score....

https://improvingsoftware.com/2017/11/22/annual-performance-evaluations-for-programmers/

In most cases where I need to compare two folders recursively on a Windows system I use my go-to tool Beyond Compare. It is an excellent utility, and one that I think should be among the first ut...

https://improvingsoftware.com/2013/09/09/how-to-diff-two-folders-from-a-windows-command-prompt/

One of the first things you learn to do incorrectly as a programmer is commenting your code. My experience with student and recently graduated programmers tells me that college is a really good p...

https://improvingsoftware.com/2011/06/27/5-best-practices-for-commenting-your-code/

The Problem Do you ever wish you could use the SQL IN operator in your C# code to make your conditional blocks more concise and your code easier to read? Perhaps it’s just my persnickety nature...

https://improvingsoftware.com/2011/06/16/quick-tip-comparing-a-net-string-to-multiple-values/

Announcing the Improved Dropdown jQuery plugin! I’m happy to announce that I’ve released a new jQuery plugin today that will enable web page authors to create a richer user experience than is...

https://improvingsoftware.com/2011/04/21/adding-combo-box-style-dropdowns-to-your-web-page/

After reading Jeff Moden’s article “Replace Multiple Spaces with One” describing an approach to collapse white space in a string, I was troubled by the need for a temporary placeholder. I�...

https://improvingsoftware.com/2011/03/21/replacing-multiple-spaces-in-a-string-with-a-single-space-in-sql/

Rambling Intro, Nostalgia, and Crankiness This week I got a request troubleshoot a legacy Microsoft Access application that has been floating around our company for ages, but still gets used dail...

https://improvingsoftware.com/2011/03/15/how-to-join-on-memo-fields-in-microsoft-access/

Cupertino, we have a problem. Q: How do you know when your software has a usability problem? A: When someone creates an entire humor site dedicated to mocking it. Okay, you might have said someth...

https://improvingsoftware.com/2011/02/14/usability-hall-of-shame-autocorrect/

The dangers of cargo cult programming demonstrated by analyzing common myths about string concatenation techniques.

https://improvingsoftware.com/2011/02/11/concatenating-strings-youre-still-doing-it-wrong/

The Null Solution In my previous article, Collaborative Problem Solving, I talked about the importance of questioning assumptions and reconfirming your understanding of the problem when you hit a...

https://improvingsoftware.com/2010/12/09/problem-solving-101-first-understand-the-problem/