HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: jeffl@Newbridge.COM (Jeff Laks - qmail)
Subject: Looking for Experiences in Capacity Planning
Keywords: Capacity, Planning, Projects
Organization: Newbridge Networks Corporation
Date: Tue, 28 Jul 1992 17:17:28 GMT

I am looking for practical or theoretical experience in tracking and planning
R&D capacity (both S/W and non-S/W resources). Primary issues are multi-project 
scheduling based upon skill set availability and hiring/re-allocation planning 
based on future project trends. I am interested in knowing what methods and
tools other companies are using in this area.

If you have any information on this subject or can suggest other applicable
newsgroups please send me email (jeffl@newbridge.com). 
-- 
Jeff Laks                      | jeffl@newbridge.com   | 
Newbridge Networks Corporation | Phone: (613) 591-3600 |
Kanata, Ontario, Canada.       | FAX:   (613) 591-3680 |
From: johnm@cory.Berkeley.EDU (John D. Mitchell)
Newsgroups: comp.software-eng
Subject: Re: Extent-based Filesystems (was: Large Application data sets )
Date: 24 Jul 92 02:22:39 GMT
Organization: University of California, at Berkeley

In article <13711@auspex-gw.auspex.com> guy@Auspex.COM (Guy Harris) writes:
>>Surely sparse files are just a space optimisation, a compression, performed
>>invisibly by the filesystem?
>
>It's surprising how often "surely", in a USENET posting, precedes a
>statement that isn't, in fact, true....
>
>>It chooses to represent entire blocks of nuls
>>in a compact way.
>
>Not *that* invisibly, on most UNIX systems and most UNIX file systems.
[...]

Actually, add-on products such as Stacker and SuperStor for DOS actually
perform automatic file compression (modified forms of LZW I think).
Obviously, these are not part of the underlying filesystem itself but as
far as the application is concerned the (un)compression is invisible.

I think one of the main concerns about putting this sort of thing into the
file system itself is the speed penalty of doing the (un)compression.  Has
anybody done much work on timing these sorts of things?

John D. Mitchell
johnm@cory.Berkeley.EDU

P.S.	Standard disclaimers apply.
Newsgroups: comp.software-eng,comp.object
From: tensu@cs.tut.fi (Tero Ahtee)
Subject: software engineering REFERENCES (updated 09.07.)
Summary: list of books 
Originator: tensu@hemppo.cs.tut.fi
Organization: Tampere University of Technology
Date: Fri, 24 Jul 1992 09:44:23 GMT


	Hi netlanders, 

I just updated software engineering reference book list
"SE.references.????92" (where ????92 is modification date in european
format). It is a 7-bit ASCII text file (size about 178 kb) made with
emacs. 

The list can be accessed via anonymous ftp from machine "cs.tut.fi"
(130.230.4.2) from directory "pub/tut". 

The list contain ONLY books, not articles. References are NOT sorted
by subject, but only by author's name in alphabetical order. (Yes, I
know that it would be more useful, if it would be sorted by subject,
but I don't have time to do such sorting, sorry.) 

There are references about software engineering in general, e. g.
databases, project management, quality, CASE-tools, object-oriented
techniques and object-oriented programming languages. 

There are no, or few, references about user interfaces, artifical
intelligence, conventional programming languages and communications.

There are some abbreviations in the end of some lines. They have the
following meaning
 <SF> = reference is in finnish
 <D> = reference is in german
 <S> = reference is in swedish. 

The best way you can take advantage of the list is to keep it on file
and use e.g. 'grep' command for finding interesting references. (It
doesn't make sense to print the whole list, I think.) 

If you know more good refrences, please let me know by e-mail. 

If you have corrections to my list, please let me know by e-mail. 

	Tero 


--------------------------------------------------------------
Tero Ahtee * tensu@cs.tut.fi * 
Tampere University of Technology * Software Systems Laboratory
P.O. BOX 553 * 33101 Tampere * Finland * Europe 


-- 
Tero Ahtee * tensu@cs.tut.fi  *  Tampere  *  Finland  *  Europe 
Login ergo sum.   <>   Workload is not killing - it is challenging.
COMMERCIAL : Why should you pay less for a better computer - buy IBM !

-- 
Newsgroups: comp.software-eng
From: audley@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu (Christopher D Audley)
Subject: Mathematics libraries in 'C'
Organization: HAC - Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore
Distribution: na
Date: Thu, 23 Jul 1992 13:20:17 GMT

I'm looking for a set of mathematical libraries, which need to include
matrix solvers, written in 'C'.  I am familiar with NAG and IMSL, and
know of blas and LINPACK, but I have a machine without a Fortran compiler
so I need something in 'C'.  I know that NAG and IMSL offer a subset of
their functions in 'C' but I would really prefer something much cheaper.
I've tried f2c with no success.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Chris

-- 
Christopher D. Audley                 Internet: audley@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu
Elec & Comp Engineering                      -= NeXTmail Welcome =-
The Johns Hopkins University          Phone: (410)889-3639
From: wild1@sunquest.UUCP (Bill Batt)
Newsgroups: comp.software-eng
Subject: Project Task & Problem Tracking Tool
Date: 24 Jul 92 00:43:14 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Sunquest Information Systems, Tucson

Can someone provide me with information about a commercial or public
domain tool for tracking project objectives, software problem reports,
and enhancement requests.

ThankX in advance...
From: littlec1@jaguar.uofs.edu (Chris Little)
Newsgroups: comp.software-eng
Subject: Need papers on Module Classification
Date: 29 Jul 92 23:50:20 GMT
Organization: University of Scranton


I am currently researching classification of software modules and quite like
the paper "Classification of Reusable Modules" by Ruben Prieto-Diaz.  I would
very much like to get my hands on more papers along the same lines, but our
library here is not exactly geared towards research in the software
engineering/computer science field.  Could some of you out there direct me to
some good research papers in this area?  Thank you in advance.
--
Chris Little, Programmer/DBA
                                                University Computing Systems
                                                University of Scranton
  LITTLEC1@JAGUAR.UOFS.EDU                      Scranton, PA 18510
Newsgroups: comp.software-eng
From: p2018756@cumulus.csd.unsw.OZ.AU (Yagna Pant)
Subject: Re:Bang
Organization: University of New South Wales
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 1992 11:10:40 GMT

From vn Wed Jul 29 21:04:42 1992
Subject: Re: "Bang!"
Newsgroups: comp.software-eng

From article <1992Jul28.085235.8554@iccgcc.decnet.ab.com>, by kambic@iccgcc.decnet.ab.com (Bonus, Iniquus, Celer - Delegitus Duo):
> I suspect that this is in one of the FAQ's, so if it is, just please point. 
> 
> Can anyone please provide references to "Bang."  I believe that it is related
> to module fan-in-fan-out, but am not sure of the actual mathematical
> definition.
> 
> Email to kambic@iccgcc.decnet.ab.com.  Or post here.  Then we can start another
> fun thread.
> 
> George Kambic
> kambic@iccgcc.decnet.ab.com
> "You can't win, you can't break even, you don't even know what game
> you're playing."
>

T. DeMarco, Controlling Software Projects: Management and Estimation,
Yourdon Press, New York, 1982.

T. DeMarco, In the Land of Function Metrics, Presentation at the Fifth
Internation COCOMO User's Group Conference, Pittsburgh, October 1989.

T. DeMarco, An Algorithm for Sizing Software Products, Performance
Evaluation Review, 12, 2, 13--22, Spring-Summer 1984.


Yagna
.
From: kambic@iccgcc.decnet.ab.com (Bonus, Iniquus, Celer - Delegitus Duo)
Newsgroups: comp.software-eng
Subject: Re: SEI Process Maturity Model
Date: 20 Jul 92 14:59:00 EST

In article <5299@m1.cs.man.ac.uk>, ir@cs.man.ac.uk (Ian Robertson (BCW MSc 89)) writes:
> -- 
> Thank God for Terry's breath of fresh air in this debate.
> Why are software engineers so introspective? 
> 
> People have been `designing' things for centuries: surely someone has sat 
> down, sucked his/her pencil and wondered about the DESIGN process?
I think that the word *process* requires emphasis also.  If we know about
improving processes, maybe we can use that knowledge to learn about the design
process.

> 
> If we could crack that one, then we might have a chance of getting a handle 
> on the software engineering process. One thing is certain, as Terry 
> eloquently demonstrated; whatever it is, it is NOT a production process. 
> But factories do have design offices. What goes on in there?

I would argue that it can be called a production process, because there are a
group similar activities (requirements elicitation, design, etc.) that are
repeated.  If they are not subject to improvement, what is?

George Kambic
standard disclaimer

Xref: sparky comp.software-eng:2927 comp.arch.storage:531 comp.unix.internals:1589
From: csa09@seq1.keele.ac.uk (Paul Singleton)
Newsgroups: comp.software-eng,comp.arch.storage,comp.unix.internals
Subject: Re: Extent-based Filesystems (was: Large Application data sets )
Date: 23 Jul 92 10:53:40 GMT
Organization: University of Keele, England

From article <1992Jul22.151535.25117@nuchat.sccsi.com>, by steve@nuchat.sccsi.com (Steve Nuchia):
> In article <1992Jul21.113652.4898@metapro.DIALix.oz.au> bernie@metapro.DIALix.oz.au (Bernd Felsche) writes:

>>The only rational existence I can think of for sparse files
>>is with memory-mapped (or similar) data files.
 
> A careful reading of the available historical materials indicates
> that "holey" files were a serendipitous consequence of design decisions
> made for other reasons.  Personally I think it was unfortunate that
> this essentially accidental feature became enshrined in the documented
> semantics of the Unix filesystem.

Surely sparse files are just a space optimisation, a compression, performed
invisibly by the filesystem?  It chooses to represent entire blocks of nuls
in a compact way.  I'm surprised that filesystems don't do other forms of
compression - there's plenty of scope.  If there was a free market in
filesystem implementations, maybe there would be more development of this
sort.  The holiness of files is _independent_ of their semantics (at least,
of their system-call program-visible semantics).
----
  __   __    Paul Singleton (Mr)           JANET: paul@uk.ac.keele.cs
 |__) (__    Computer Science Dept.        other: paul@cs.keele.ac.uk
 |  .  __).  Keele University, Newcastle,    tel: +44 (0)782 621111 x7355
             Staffs ST5 5BG, ENGLAND         fax: +44 (0)782 713082
From: wrb2@ra.msstate.edu (Warren R Bennett)
Subject: e-mail for Mr. David Herron of SPR
Organization: Mississippi State University
Date: Tue, 21 Jul 1992 15:41:28 GMT

I am trying to get in touch with Mr. David Herron of SPR.  Anyone with
information, please e-mail to me.

Thanks

Warren Bennett
From: vutien@cenatls.cena.dgac.fr (Vu Tien)
Newsgroups: comp.software-eng
Subject: Re: The origin of 'software-eng'
Date: 28 Jul 92 08:38:03 GMT
Organization: Centre d'Etudes de la Navigation Aerienne
Originator: vutien@coque


For me, the process of software engineering is (ideally) something similar to 
algebra manipulation in mechanical engineering, before committing to real production.
What I mean is that, *ideally* :

1) we start with some logic predicates that describes what the system properties are,
   along with properties that the outside world provides,

2) we develop the predicates, or factorise them, or simplifies some in the process.
   If there is some difficulties in solving, we may add some restrictions, as in
   algebra.
   
   The way each engineer factorises, develops terms, depends on the goal that is seeked, 
   again as in algebra. What makes a good design, a bad design, or a transcendantal
   design, lays in how the terms are grouped. A good designer may not be a good inventor,
   by analogy, some theorems proven by Karl Friedrich Gauss (the king of maths) were
   quite botched up when proven, and later some body found a more elegant way to 
   prove them again.

   The way terms are grouped and developed may also facilite reuse.

3) the ultimate goal of design is that the final step of the logical equations are
   ready for programming. By analogy, when the details of maths of a structure are
   known, then we can build a diesel engine, a turbine, a jet plane, etc..

Now all this is for an ideal world, because :

a) software is *very* complex, not at all like Copper Mining (cf SEI maturity model
    talks) and developing a problem may reveal itself an NP tesk, taking years 
   and centuries of CPU time for designing large systems,
b) the incompletude theorem of Goedel says that it is impossible to prove a set of
   axioms inside its own frame. We need external asssertions. So human common sense is
   still needed.

However The closer we got to that ideal, the better.

To conclude, the French word "logiciel" (logics) for software may have influenced me,
but I believe that the software industry has tried too much to align itself to a 
factory model, while software is more a design process that a production process.
This means that we need to investigate a software model similar to mathematical
development.

Smiley : Don't be scared of the word mathematical. All other engineering trades use it :
hydodynamics, physics, micro-electronics, bio-chemistry, so why don't we ?

---
vutien@cenatls.cena.dgac.fr
vutien@capsogeti.fr
Newsgroups: comp.software-eng
From: ramu@cadsun.corp.mot.com (Ramu Iyer)
Subject: Re: Methodologies
Organization: Motorola, Inc., Software Research and Development, Rolling Meadows, IL. 60008
Date: Mon, 27 Jul 92 14:18:40 GMT

goutal@hammer.crim.ca writes:

>Hi,

>I am looking for comparative analyses of system developement methodologies. 
>If somebody knows interesting books or papers comparing:

>different structured analysis methodologies 
>or
>structured analysis versus object-oriented analysis
>or
>different real time methodologies
>or 
>expert system methodologies.

>I would appreciate your help.

\bibitem [KS92]{KS92}
J.C. Kelly and Y.S. Sherif. Comparison of four design methods for
real-time software development. {\em Journal of Information
Technology, \/} Vol 34, No 2, 1992.
From: kambic@iccgcc.decnet.ab.com (Bonus, Iniquus, Celer - Delegitus Duo)
Newsgroups: comp.software-eng
Subject: Re: "Bang!"
Date: 28 Jul 92 17:13:10 EST

In article <1992Jul28.085235.8554@iccgcc.decnet.ab.com>, kambic@iccgcc.decnet.ab.com (Bonus, Iniquus, Celer - Delegitus Duo) writes:
> I suspect that this is in one of the FAQ's, so if it is, just please point. 
> 
> Can anyone please provide references to "Bang."  I believe that it is related
> to module fan-in-fan-out, but am not sure of the actual mathematical
> definition.

I got it.  Tom DeMarco in Controlling software Projects.  Thanks for the mail
messages. 

George Kambic
standard disclaimer

Newsgroups: comp.software-eng
From: ilanc@mot.com (Ilan Cohen)
Subject: Re: CADRE TEAMwork
Reply-To: ilanc@mcil.comm.mot.com
Organization: Motorola Communications Israel Ltd., Tel Aviv
Date: Thu, 30 Jul 1992 05:51:25 GMT
Keywords: cadre teamwork

In article <22586@hacgate.SCG.HAC.COM> hayes%valkris@hac2arpa.hac.com (Brian Hayes 74-35 x65129) writes:
>
>Are there any Teamwork (by Cadre Technologies) users?  If you 
>would like to discuss the tool (perhaps "rack" is a better 
>term), drop me some e-mail, or post to the net.
>
>With tutorial in hand, I just started using it today.  Needless
>to say, I'm on my third page (handwritten) of complaints.  I'm 
>using the OS/2 version.
>
>-- 
>| Brian Hayes		| "One person's requirement is another	|
>| (310) 616-5129	|  person's design." - I.A.Pirbahi	|
>| hayes@hac2arpa.hac.com| <standard disclaimer here>		|

Teamwork has quite a large user base. We are using it for 
a number of years. 

I think that discussion about the tool, might be worthwhile 
to all its users. I am not sure what is the best place for it,
but this news group is one alternative.

From your signature, it looks like you read Pirbahi, which is 
a good move before using Teamwork.

Regards,
Ilan
-- 
[ Ilan Cohen                            | Motorola Communication Israel Ltd. ]
[ INTERNET..ilanc@mcil.comm.mot.com     | System Software Development        ]
[ PHONE. . . . .++(972)3565-8714        | 3 Kremenitski St                   ]
[ FAX. . . . . .++(972)3565-8754        | Tel-Aviv, Israel                   ]
From: bsherman@genome.lbl.gov (Brad Sherman)
Newsgroups: comp.software-eng
Subject: Re: SCCS - RCS driver scripts (snapshot)
Date: 21 Jul 1992 20:45:19 GMT
Organization: Institute of Forest Genetics DataBase
Reply-To: bsherman@genome.lbl.gov (Brad Sherman)
NNTP-Posting-Host: 131.243.224.80
Keywords: SCCS RCS

In article <75cmh9k.qualtrak@netcom.com> jb@QualTrak.COM writes:
>
>My boss is interested in shell scripts which may be used in conjunction
>with SCCS or RCS to handle snapshots of sets of files in a directory
>hierarchy (or possibly multiple directory hierarchies) based either on
>date-time or the revision id.
> ...

[This is an answer to your question only in so far as you are 
attempting to do "release engineering." -bks]

Let me save your boss a ton of money and protect you from an ulcer
at the same time.  There is no such thing as a snapshot using SCCS
and/or RCS.  All you will get (if you're exceedingly meticulous)
is an accurate reproduction of the source code, local headers
and makefiles.  However the compiler and libraries may be completely
different.  System headers may have gone through fifteen changes
(probably in an attempt to become ANSI compliant, or System V r X.X
compliant, or X17 compliant or some such).

What you should do is buy a machine for each and every release of
your software.  That machine is then the "snapshot" of the release.
Do _not_ upgrade any software on that machine.  Then if the
engineer wants to track down a problem with release 4.1.6.3 of
your software all she has to do is sit down at machine 4.1.6.3
and start working.  SCCS is then handy for keeping track of the
quick and dirty patches used between releases to keep the customer
happy.  It may be necessary to update other release-machines to
reflect the fix, but this is not automatically the case.

I know that this sounds expensive, but in the long run it will 
keep the workers happy, the customers happy and the bottom line
happy.   SCCS is very nice for between release development, and
great for keeping track of changes to system configuration files
but do _not_ expect it to be an easy route to restoring the state 
of a machine at the time that a release was prepared.
--------------------
	--Brad Sherman
From: ben@bailey.UUCP (Ben Bailey)
Subject: Configuration Management
Newsgroups: comp.software-eng
Date: 28 Jul 92 22:35:03 GMT
Distribution: world
Organization: Ben Bailey's Home..Tampa Fl.

I'm told that there is a faq for software configuration management in
this group.  I've been monitoring for about a week, but this topic hasn't
presented itself (could be that my info is incorrect.)

Anyway, I'm not a ftp capable site.  If anyone has access to info for
configuration management, please contact me via email.  (I'm afraid if
everyone tried to email me the faq, it would swamp my small system...
386 running Coherent).

I'm particularly interested in commercial packages that run on HP Unix systems.
I work for a large company, and shareware, etc., can't be considered, 
regardless of how good or cheap the product is.  They must be commercial
packages.

I'm also interested in contacting anyone that has used any commercial
packages on an HP Unix platform.

Thanks,

Ben
--
Ben Bailey                 ben@bailey.uucp -- bailey!ben@uunet.uu.net
12210 Shady Forest Dr.     ben@bailey.tscs.com
Riverview, Fl. 33569       -- A programmer without his computer is like a 
813-677-5021                  boy without his dog.
From: shimeall@taurus.cs.nps.navy.mil (timothy shimeall)
Newsgroups: comp.software-eng
Subject: Re: Genetic Alg/ Evolution Sim
Date: 28 Jul 92 19:28:17 GMT
Reply-To: shimeall@cs.nps.navy.mil (timothy shimeall)
Organization: Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey CA

Try:
  Holland, John H., "Genetic Algorithms", _Scientific_American_,
Volume 267, No. 1, July 1992, pp. 66-72. (Public-level introduction)
and
  Riolo, Rick L., "The Amateur Scientist: Survival of the Fittest
Bits", _Scientific_American_, Vol. 267, No. 1, July 1992, Pp. 114-116.
(Sample code fragments, with complete C code available from Scientific
American).

In short get ahold of the July 1992 Scientific American...
				Tim
-- 
Tim Shimeall ((408) 646-2509)
The proper response to detecting a bug isn't to fix the bug - it's to make 
sure you'll never have to worry about that bug again.  --- Richard Hamming
From: jcrw@fmg.bt.co.uk (Jeremy Wilson)
Newsgroups: comp.software-eng
Subject: Re: Expensive books (was Re: The Elements of Programming Style)
Date: 24 Jul 92 13:44:58 GMT
Organization: British Telecom

In article <1992Jul21.190452.20125@sco.COM> waseems@sco.COM (Waseem Siddiqi) writes:


   >> Now, I don't *know* that it is a gouging job -- but I'd sure like to see
   >> some kind of explanation for the costs.  Where does the money *go*?
   >
   >Small-run books are expensive because they reflect the fixed costs of
   >the publisher being spread over a small number of physical books and
   >because there's substantial risk in small-run books: most small-run
   >books lose money for the publisher, so the one's that make money have
   >to carry the others.  In a way, it's a lot like venture capitalism.
   >
   >    Ken Shrum


   how come textbooks in UK are way cheaper when compared to the US ?

No! This is not quite true.  Maybe on average(?) textbooks published in the
  UK cost less than do US textbooks in the US. But bearing in mind that 
 the US is a far more prosperous country and that US books are usually 
 more lavishly produced, this is hardly surprising. When I went 
 a British  University five years ago to do an MSc in Computing I noticed 
 that a large proprtion of  the really important books were produced by US 
 publishers and that I had to pay American prices but at an exchange rate
 of 1 pound = 1 dollar. 
+---------------------------------+----------------------------------------+
! Jeremy Wilson			  !	email: jcrw@fmg.bt.co.uk           !
! Room 3-07                       !     Telephone: 0473-227822             !  
! BT Development and Procurement  !     International: +44 473-227822      !
! Bibb Way			  !     Facsimile: 0473-210182             !
! IPSWICH                         !     International: +44 473-210182      !
! Suffolk  IP1 2EQ                !     Telex: 987705                      !
! United Kingdom                  !     International: +51 987705          !
!  				  !     				   !
+---------------------------------+----------------------------------------+
Newsgroups: comp.software-eng
From: dhg@scs.carleton.ca (Daryl Herbert Graf)
Subject: Examples of Reusable Code
Keywords: machine learning, reuse, classification
Reply-To: dhg@scs.carleton.ca
Organization: School of Computer Science, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada
Date: Tue, 21 Jul 1992 17:37:47 GMT


I am involved in a project in which machine learning techniques
will be used to classify software modules as "reusable" or not.
The learning system will require example modules that have been
pre-classified by a human expert. Our general approach is an 
extension of that described in 

Esteva, J.C., Reynolds, R.G., 1991, Identifying Reusable Software 
   Components by Induction, Intl. Journal of Software Engineering 
   and Knowledge Engineering, Vol. 1, No. 3, pp 271-292

My question is: Where can I best obtain a database of positive and 
negative examples of reusable software source ? Are there moderately
large libraries that are considered particularly "good" examples
of reusable code by those in the S.E. field ? (e.g. FTPable source,
academic databases, commercial libraries, interested software houses,
etc). Any information, commentary, suggestions, ideas would be 
appreciated. I will post a summary if sufficient interest is generated.

Daryl Graf
School of Computer Science
Carleton University
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
dhg@csc.carleton.ca

Newsgroups: comp.software-eng