RSS FeedThe Joel Test
Joel Spolsky has written a 12 point test to assess how seriously your organisation takes the software engineering process.
Joel suggests that ideally you should answer “yes” to all 12 points, and that 10 or less points is a worry. His 12 points are:
- Do you use source control?
- Can you make a build in one step?
- Do you make daily builds?
- Do you have a bug database?
- Do you fix bugs before writing new code?
- Do you have an up-to-date schedule?
- Do you have a spec?
- Do programmers have quiet working conditions?
- Do you use the best tools money can buy?
- Do you have testers?
- Do new candidates write code during their interview?
- Do you do hallway usability testing?
The full article is here, and you might need to read it to understand all the questions.
I agree with all Joel’s points in general, although some are good generalizations and not completely universal.
At my current job there are two developers maximum on a project and the developers are the users; so we’ve found some formality is needed but there’s no need to go “the full Monty”. Usability testing when we’re the users is a little redundant and since we’re paid university salaries, I don’t think paying testers would be any cheaper.
My current work currently scores 3 and those 3 points were because I insisted on having things improved. I’d like us to get to about 6; for such a small scale group that seems right. My previous workplace scored about 9, and badly lacked the 13th point: being willing to rewrite to improve simplicity.
How does your work place measure up according to Joel? Any ideas on how a small startup can satisfy at least the intent of each point without hiring more people?
2 Comments
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My current employer are only managing nine points. They lose out on daily builds and quiet working environment, and the concept of hallway usability testing just doesn’t work here. It didn’t work at my last job either, but in every other way they were meticulous, and unquestionable 11.
I have long questioned the wisdom of point number 5 though: if you have code cutters and code maintainers, or just periodic, staged development, there’s no reason why you can’t fix bugs and make new code. That’s what sophisticated modern CVSes are all about…
Comment by thorin — On 16-1-2006 at 3:05:21 PM
The opinion poll I ran only got 3 votes so I’ll add them here as a comment rather than writing an article… The results were:
The Joel Test …
Total Votes : 3
Comment by sarah — On 27-1-2006 at 10:24:22 AM