ISBN:0471253030Amazon.com
Filled with real-world advice for managing software projects, Murray Cantor's Object-Oriented Project Management with UML shows you how to tackle any project using UML and the latest thinking on project management. There's little doubt that this even-handed, commonsensical guide can benefit anyone who manages or designs object-oriented software for a living.
The best thing about this book has to be its honest, real-world mix of software engineering theory and real-world practice for managing object-oriented software development. The author refuses to be doctrinaire and continually offers valuable nuggets of practical advice. Regarding the pitfalls of one software development process, he writes, "I am sure someone has succeeded, but I have never seen it done." Later, he advises managers to "never show panic."
The book doesn't skimp on specifics with a sample case study on a jet fighter trainer simulation system that has a budget of over $22 million. The book also provides real numbers for project estimation, bug tracking, and resource allocation. You'll even find numbers for measuring productivity, including KLOCs. Numerous sample documents (including sample meeting agendas) round out the tour here. The book offers plenty of good advice for working with upper management, customers, and development teams throughout the software development process.
While there's certainly no substitute for actual project management experience, Object-Oriented Project Management with UML may be the next best thing. The author's tour of how to manage object-oriented software development offers dozens of savvy tips and a very thorough guide to using some of the best available techniques for software management. This book is perfect for practically minded IS managers or project leaders who want to see how their software development process can be improved using UML with rigorous management techniques. --Richard Dragan
Topics covered: object-oriented project management overview; obstacles; UML basics; use cases; class diagrams; lifecycle models: waterfall, spiral, RAD; time box model and controlled iteration; Software Development Plans (SDPs); budgeting; project estimation; management tips for inception, elaboration, construction, and transition phases; software metrics: KLOCs and COCOMO; measuring productivity; and sample meeting agendas./p>
Reviews From AMAZON.COM
Useful in places, but not a HOW TO book
The author applies standard project management techniques to object-oriented projects. In particular, the assumptions and techniques underlying UML and the Unified Process are to be found in the various chapters in the book. For example, the author advocates managing complexity by using packages, use cases, encapsulation, inheritance and aggregation.
The main strengths of the book are: It attempts to integrate OOT with project management techniques using the standard UML and this integration process lasts for the duration of the full software lifecycle.
The book may or may not be useful depending on what you are looking for. For example, it is (very) superficial in places and in general I would say that it lacks 'meat' in the following places:
Traceability issues
Useful checklists and tables
Quantitative treatment (measurement)
Furthermore, the chapter on lifecycle models is not convincing. The author suggests that we should NEVER use the Waterfall model while he suggests that the Controlled Iteration model. Why? I have not understood this latter model when reading the boook. I think that it is too complex.
Concluding, this book serves as a baseline for further research and should be complemented by other sources, for example from Boehm, Air force and IEEE.
Finally, the title is an attention-grabber and in my opinion incorrect. Project management is independent of the technology used (in this case OOT). A better name would have been "Project management of software projects that use UML".
Good for practicing mgrs
This was very useful for me to get a tactical grip on OO proj mgmt. Has a very good intro and is designed in modules to allow you to read based on your specific role in the group. Always recommend this to customers who are trying to move to iterative development.