beta: Evidence-based Software Engineering – book

Derek Jones from The Shape of Code

My book, Evidence-based software engineering: based on the publicly available data is now out on beta release (pdf, and code+data). The plan is for a three-month review, with the final version available in the shops in time for Christmas (I plan to get a few hundred printed, and made available on Amazon).

The next few months will be spent responding to reader comments, and adding material from the remaining 20 odd datasets I have waiting to be analysed.

You can either email me with any comments, or add an issue to the book’s Github page.

While the content is very different from my original thoughts, 10-years ago, the original aim of discussing all the publicly available software engineering data has been carried through (in some cases more detailed data, in greater quantity, has supplanted earlier less detailed/smaller datasets).

The aim of only discussing a topic if public data is available, has been slightly bent in places (because I thought data would turn up, and it didn’t, or I wanted to connect two datasets, or I have not yet deleted what has been written).

The outcome of these two aims is that the flow of discussion is very disjoint, even disconnected. Another reason might be that I have not yet figured out how to connect the material in a sensible way. I’m the first person to go through this exercise, so I have no idea where it’s going.

The roughly 620+ datasets is three to four times larger than I thought was publicly available. More data is good news, but required more time to analyse and discuss.

Depending on the quantity of issues raised, updates of the beta release will happen.

As always, if you know of any interesting software engineering data, please tell me.

Beta release of data analysis chapters: Evidence-based software engineering

Derek Jones from The Shape of Code

When I started my evidence-based software engineering book, nobody had written a data analysis book for software developers, so I had to write one (in fact, a book on this topic has still to be written). When I say “I had to write one”, what I mean is that the 200 pages in the second half of my evidence-based software engineering book contains a concentrated form of such a book.

This 200 pages is now on beta release (it’s 186 pages, if the bibliography is excluded); chapters 8 to 15 of the draft pdf. Originally I was going to wait until all the material was ready, before making a beta release; the Coronavirus changed my plans.

Here is your chance to learn a new skill during the lockdown (yes, these are starting to end; my schedule has not changed, I’m just moving with the times).

All the code+data is available for you to try out any ideas you might have.

The software engineering material, the first half of the book, is also part of the current draft pdf, and the polished form should be available on beta release in about 6 weeks.

If you have a comment or find a problem, either email me or raise an issue on the book’s Github page.

Yes, a few figures and tables still bump into each other. I’m loath to do very fine-tuning because things will shuffle around a bit with minor changes to the words.

I’m thinking of running some online sessions around each chapter. Watch this space for information.