How can you automate your workflow and meet deadlines in software design?

VC: Use Git for tracking changes and collaboration. (CI): Employ Jenkins or GitHub Actions for automated code builds and tests. AT: Write unit, integration, and end-to-end tests to catch bugs early. Task Automation: Leverage tools like Gradle or Gulp for repetitive tasks. Containerization: Docker ensures consistent deployment across environments. Infrastructure as Code (IaC): Terraform or Ansible automates infrastructure setup. Code Generators: Automate boilerplate code creation to save time. Continuous Deployment (CD): Use CD pipelines for automated prod deployments. Monitoring and Logging: Implement tools like Prometheus for quick issue identification. Agile and Scrum: Break tasks into sprints, prioritize, and iterate. AND Documentation!

A collaborative and effective software development process is built on version control. It serves as a collaborative canvas where ideas converge and diverge through commits and branches, going beyond simply monitoring code changes. Code consistency and dispute avoidance are ensured via cooperation environments created using tools such as Bitbucket, GitHub, and Git. Reverting to earlier iterations acknowledges the iterative nature of development and offers an extra degree of protection.

At this point, if you're doing Software and not using Version Control then you're doing it wrong. Even on a one man project! In due time, you can integrate automation tools into your workflow to guarantee both quality and consistency.

Employing VCS like Git allows for efficient collaboration, tracking changes & managing code versions. Tools like GitHub, GitLab or Bitbucket offer features for issue tracking, code review & project management, aiding in meeting deadlines through organized development processes.

Implementing the Shift Left methodology in automation testing involves initiating automation testing early in the development process. This entails commencing automation development concurrently with application development. Both automation engineers and developers can collaborate on the same development feature branch, locally run the code, and carry out automation execution. Subsequently, the automation code is checked into the same codebase and integrated into the build or release pipeline. This approach not only guarantees quality but also fosters sustainable and efficient development practices.

In the agile landscape, there's no one-size-fits-all solution; each team's dynamics demand a tailored approach. Agile methods are tools meant to streamline processes, urging teams to explore diverse methods until they discover what suits them best. When a method hampers progress, it's a signal for change. Agility thrives in adaptability, where methodologies evolve alongside teams, fostering a culture of continuous improvement. The key lies in embracing methodologies that empower without hindering, seamlessly integrating into workflows for heightened productivity and collaboration.

Muchas veces se abusa de las metodologías ágiles convirtiendo estas en herramientas de micromanagement, lo he visto una y otra vez como no se toma en cuenta el tiempo productivo y se hace énfasis en las ceremonias y aún así se espera las rápidas entregas del equipo, sprints de una semana no siempre garantiza la rápida evolución del producto si se toman 2 o 3 días de producción y el resto en ceremonias, bien se puede implementar sprints de dos semanas con entregables semanales.

If we look at big picture, we have all evidenced that Agile practices with software solutions (starting from software development lifecycle, maintaining quality of code, ci-cd pipelining and customer operations) has brought the industry from just a spark to this level. The pure agile practice never does micromanagement and the process and standards are kept transparent to entire departments to not allow the micromanagement come in to action at any point. If the teams have knowledge on predefined metrics (KRAs and KPIs) that management desires to see, the organisation wins over all odds.

Adopt Agile practices like Scrum or Kanban to organize tasks, prioritize work & continuously deliver incremental value. Agile frameworks facilitate adaptive planning, regular feedback cycles & collaboration, enabling teams to adapt to changing requirements & deliver on time.

Project planning is similar to organizing a symphony of concepts and cooperative actions. Setting reasonable goals and deadlines shows a commitment to attaining excellence and goes beyond simple time management. Effective communication acts as a conductor, promoting harmony among the team. Within the broad field of innovation, keeping a project scope that is achievable serves as a compass for overcoming time and resource restrictions and creating an atmosphere that is favorable for creativity.

Una de las principales recomendaciones que muestran su valor muy pronto en el desarrollo de software es sin duda la automatización de las pruebas desde las primeras fases/iteraciones, sobre todo en los métodos ágiles. De entre las principales pruebas deben figurar las funcionales, la de despliegue o liberación y las pruebas de seguridad, de modo que se cumplan los paradigmas DevSecOps tan en boga. Esta estrategia permite enfocar los esfuerzos en el desarrollo de (la lógica de) el negocio y en dotar de cualidades intrínsecas al software, cualidades alienadas con la seguridad en entornos cada vez más distribuidos y cuyo valor los hace atractivos para ciber-actores maliciosos.

1. Ensure the seamless integration of automation into the code delivery process within the project, avoiding its treatment as a distinct entity to prevent it from becoming an additional burden. 2. Employing the Test-Driven Development (TDD) approach for automating workflows not only improves quality but also enhances efficiency. 3. Begin with simplicity when automating processes, avoiding unnecessary complexity. Additional layers of automation can be incorporated gradually. 4. Regularly upgrade and enhance the automation suite, incorporating a risk-based approach and a defect clustering model.

We can start using Jenkins for automated testing. we can test all types of tests, like Junit tests for Java applications, MSTest for .NET applications, etc. with the help of different plugins.

Automate your testing and produce reports which can show you historical data about a test or a set of tests. Having those reports make it easier to identify flakiness and act on it

Implement CI/CD pipelines to automate building, testing & deployment processes. Tools such as Jenkins, Travis CI or CircleCI enable developers to automatically run tests, integrate code changes & deploy applications, reducing manual intervention & accelerating development cycles. Write scripts or leverage automation tools to streamline repetitive tasks such as code formatting, testing & deployment. Tools like Ansible, Puppet or Chef automate configuration management & infrastructure deployment, ensuring consistency & reducing errors.

If Code generators tools are validated then ensures quality of code , reduce the review time, ensures version compatibility with other tools. Maintain the code consistency irrespective of the author. Some code generators provides mechanisms for modifying files.

My company has a Solution Stack Gernerator that we use to bootstrap our new projects. The developer creates a class library Domain project and implements the entity objects we are modeling from the real world. Our solution generator traverses the object graph from the domain and builds out the scaffolding for our architecture stack, creating a database layer, a service layer for our business logic, a Web API layer, and whatever our target platform client is such as an Asp.net MVC application or a MAUI cross-platform client application. The solution generator integrates the microservices we are consuming from our company's Infrastructure-as-a-Platform so our development team can hit the ground running.

1. Set the current deadline for tomorrow. A 24-hour release cycle is optimal. 2. Eliminate silos and enable daily collaboration between clients and teams. 3. Each day, consider what could make your clients happy by the evening. 4. Eliminate all waste and deliver the most minimalist yet working version. 5. Repeat this process. Best software teams and products rely on effective collaboration model. That’s the core of it, not automation, not frameworks nor tools.

IDEs like Visual Studio Code, IntelliJ IDEA or PyCharm offer features such as code suggestions, debugging tools & integrations with version control systems, enhancing developer productivity & code quality.

Code generation is a myth. Learning a domain language to be consumed by a code generation tool should sound to everyone like a software compiler. You have simply changed the base language as a trade off. It isn't necessarily a bad tradeoff, but it just shifts the expertise. It also adds cost to the support tail. Who maintains the code generation software? What will maintaining licenses cost? What happens when your code generator stops being maintained? The pace of development makes it easy to embrace adaption from a DSL using code generation, but unless the goal is a product with a short lifespan a lot of 'what if' needs to be costed.

Another example of learning from others that's not mentioned here, is benefiting from tribe knowledge! Ask why things are done this specific way in your place. Especially when you're new. You would be surprised what areas of improvement a fresh pair of eyes could bring even if you're still new and inexperienced.

Maintain comprehensive documentation covering project requirements, architecture & codebase. Tools like Confluence or Wiki platforms facilitate centralized documentation, ensuring clarity & enabling new team members to quickly onboard & contribute effectively.

From my experience even in the same development organisation different teams adopt different workflows and way of working. Try to collect this experience from different product teams inside your organisation and get to know what works well and what doesn’t before you proceed with the design of a new workflow

Tapping into the collective wisdom of experienced professionals is a potent strategy for automating workflows and meeting deadlines in software design. Abundant online resources, including blogs, podcasts, and courses, offer valuable insights, tips, and best practices. Engaging with online communities like Stack Overflow, Reddit, or Slack provides a platform for questions, feedback, and idea exchange. Learning from the experiences of others not only broadens knowledge and enhances skills but also unveils innovative tools and techniques. This collaborative approach ensures continuous improvement, empowering software designers to navigate the challenges of automation and deadline management more effectively.

I call it learning from each others! A good team is such a group of friends who help each other to be promoted. This as actually one of the goals of working together. Beside that searching in the wide world on internet platform is also a great way to be aware of new designs and platforms pros and cons.also don’t forget considering professional courses which are hold periodicly

Be a lazy developer! If something is repetitive, create scripts to automate it and solve the root cause. Then cross-pollinate that knowledge and share it with the team. More often than not, you'll find the pain points you're trying to automate are shared in the team, but it just needed one person to get the ball rolling!

A great way to start is by building a thin-slice of the end-to-end solution which can help with 1. Task identification - discover all the tasks in the dev workflow 2. Workflow Optimization - identify and remediate any bottlenecks 3. Tool Selection - identify the toolset needed 4. Automation - discover opportunities for automation and build utilities to help accelerate future iterations It's optimal to promote the thin-slice solution all the way to a prod env (even though it may not be open to end users yet) to ensure that all bottlenecks of the deployment lifecycle are ironed out at the earliest stage. Security needs to be defined earlier by including both static and dynamic scans in the workflow to build an optimal devsecops practice

Comunicación: Sé claro con tus compa?eros de equipo acerca de tu progreso e inconvenientes (blockers). Documentación: Aunque no sea muy divertido hacerla o trabajar en ella a veces, es una herramienta de gran ayuda que potencializa la colaboración, ayuda a acelerar la curva de aprendizaje para todos, y mejora la transparencia en el equipo.

Always plan for inconveniences If you believe a task will take 2 hours, plan if it will take 4. You need to account for every single bug that could come up when developing

Implement Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) Use CI/CD pipelines to automate the testing and deployment of your code. This ensures that your code is always in a deployable state and reduces manual errors. Leverage Task Management Tools Use tools like JIRA, Trello, or Asana to track your tasks and deadlines. This helps in prioritizing and staying on top of your workload.