Raleigh, NC--They say the cobbler's children have no shoes. Well, the same
goes for programmers---they are missing out on the very benefits they
provide to others.
Computers are very good at repetitive, menial tasks. Building and
assembling software packages, creating releases, and testing to ensure
that no new bugs crept in are all areas where the computer can help. The
computer never gets tired; it can build and test the software we write
continually, alerting the entire team the minute something goes wrong.
With that constant safety net in place, problems can be found quickly--and
fixed cheaply.
But, incredibly, fewer than 1/3 of development shops in the U.S. bother to
run that most basic of automation tasks, the daily build. No wonder most
software projects fail to deliver on their promises. If they only knew how
easy it was to get started with project automation. Now that Volume III of
the Pragmatic Starter Kit is available, they can.
In "Pragmatic Project Automation" (Pragmatic Bookshelf, $29.95 US, ISBN
0-9745140-3-9) author Mike Clark explains in clear, easy steps how to
enlist the computer to build, test, deploy, and monitor applications in
the Java environment. Using freely available software, Mike shows readers
how to set up and maintain all of the systems needed.
Having the computer perform all of this work is a great start, but then
the computer needs to let the team know what's going on. Imagine having
your build machine light up a red lava-style lamp when the build first
fails, or receiving a message on your cell phone when the tests stop
working. Mike shows you how.
Why should programmers and development teams bother with all of this
automation? Mike tells us, "Frankly, you've got better things to do than
piece together builds, follow checklists full of release commands, copy
files around on servers, and monitor running programs. So automation will
give you back something you don't have enough of: time. And with the
global competition for development work heating up (and increased
outsourcing), you have to be as productive as possible."
Written in the same approachable, entertaining style as "The Pragmatic
Programmer" and the other Starter Kit volumes, "Pragmatic Project
Automation" is suitable for beginner to advanced programmers, system
administrators, team leads and project managers.
Readers of this book will:
* Discover how automation saves time and money
* Learn to use common, freely available tools to automate build, test, and
release procedures
* Learn effective ways to keep on top of problems for the whole project
team
* Use automation to create better code
* See how to create and deploy releases easily and automatically
* Explore techniques that let programs monitor themselves and report
problems
Reviewer Praise
"Where has this book been all my life?! Mike Clark's clear, concise, and
fun style has me on the edge of my seat eager to find out what trick is
next. His CruiseControl RSS publisher is already in action on my projects,
and even more of these gems are working their way into my routine. Lava
Lamps and Groovy--the hippest software book ever!"
--Erik Hatcher, Co-author of "Java Development with Ant" and "Lucene in
Action"
"I'm going to staple this book to my desk, so it doesn't 'disappear.'"
--David Rupp, Sr. Software Engineer, Great-West Life & Annuity
"If you've ever hoped to find a technical book that gave solid, usable
examples that you can apply in real life rather than just throwing
lofty-sounding buzzwords about, then this book is it. This book is full of
solid, down-to-earth advice from one of our industry's thought leaders.
Everything in this book is relevant and practical (pragmatic even :-) and
will aid every project that takes its advice to heart. This book will be
mandatory reading on all of my projects from this time forth. I
unreservedly and wholeheartedly endorse this book."
--Simon P. Chappell, Technical Lead, Lands' End, Inc.
"Once again, the Pragmatic team has written exactly what working
programmers need. Doing the things this book describes saves each member
of our team hours of grief and frustration every time we do a release.
Overall, I think this is an excellent addition to the lineup--it's
valuable stuff, and the writing and examples are very clear."
--Greg Wilson, Hewlett-Packard
Pragmatic Project Automation
How to Build, Deploy, and Monitor Java Applications
by Mike Clark
ISBN 0-9745140-3-9, 176 pages, $29.95 US, $43.95 CA, softcover
Pragmatic Bookshelf titles are distributed to bookstores internationally
by O'Reilly Media, Inc.: order@oreilly.com, 800-998-9938
Additional Resources:
Sample chapters, table of contents, and more information is available at:
http://www.pragmaticprogrammer.com/starter_kit/au/index.html
About Pragmatic Bookshelf
The Pragmatic Bookshelf features books written by developers for
developers. The titles continue the well-known Pragmatic Programmer style,
and continue to garner awards and rave reviews. As development gets more
and more difficult, the Pragmatic Programmers will be there with more
titles and products to help programmers stay on top of their game.
Contacts
Press and Editorial Queries Only:
Contact Andy Hunt or Dave Thomas
Pragmatic Bookshelf
800-699-7764 (919-847-3884)
pragprog@pragmaticprogrammer.com
For more information, please contact Andrew Hunt at 1-800-699-7764.
