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Persistent URL http://purl.org/net/epubs/work/63753
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Record Id 63753
Title Why no bugs?
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Abstract Software development is not just one thing; it is a complex system of tasks and reasoning, undertaken in varying contexts and with varying goals and purposes, and hence with varying requirements for efficiency, reliability, correctness, usability and re-usability. The talk will present key observations from empirical studies of expert software development that can be applied usefully to scientific software development. For example, bugs in software can leverage insight, and sometimes the most effective response to errors in code can be tolerance, deferral, and reflection, rather than an immediate fix (hence the title). This talk discusses why matching development practices to the context and purpose of scientific software can improve both software and scientific outcomes. Themes include strategic tolerance of error, keeping track of provenance and domain knowledge, and the importance of developing a "community of practice" and hence sharing software development knowledge. The talk will identify systematic practices of use to scientific software developers, such as version control, testing, and assertions.
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Keywords NOBUGS2012
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Language English (EN)
Type Details URI(s) Local file(s) Year
Presentation Presented at NOBUGS 2012 (NOBUGS 2012), RAL, UK, 2012. NOBUGS.pdf 2012