Contents

• 1. Let's get a few things straight
• 2. Tools, tools, tools
  • 2.1 Your development environment
  
  
• 3. Getting version control right
  • 3.1 You have a production branch.
  • 3.2 Emergency bug fixes start with production.
  • 3.3 Exploring new functionality starts with a new branch.
  • 3.4 You have a main development branch.
  • 3.5 You are not using a version control system that makes branching and merging a pain.
  • 3.6 You are not using CVS anymore.
  • 3.7 You have started using a version control system that's actually good.
  
  
• 4. Testing
  • 4.1 Basic testing concepts
    • 4.1.1 Unit testing
    • 4.1.2 Functional / Acceptance testing
    • 4.1.3 Integration testing
    • 4.1.4 System testing
  
  
• 5. Triage
  • 5.1 Triage Rules of Thumb
  • 5.2 Is it a Bug or just a Refactoring?
  • 5.3 Feature & Refactoring Triage
  • 5.4 Bug Triage
    • 5.4.1 When things break.
  
  
• 6. Optimization & load tests
  • 6.1 Triage based on predicted usage.
  • 6.2 Create test data early in realistic amounts.
  • 6.3 Mirror your production environment.
  • 6.4 Learn to use profiling software.
  • 6.5 Set some targets.
  • 6.6 Use diversionary tactics.
  • 6.7 Load testing rules of thumb.
  
  
• 7. Application deployment
  • 7.1 Rules of thumb
    • 7.1.1 Your live webapp is never in a state that can't be rolled back to in the future.
    • 7.1.2 You have copies of all your server / client specific configuration files in version control.
    • 7.1.3 Updates are always done atomically.
    • 7.1.4 All instances of your webapp are in the same state.
  • 7.2 Automated application deployment
  
  
• Bibliography
• Index