Re: cobol code assessment


<apple.time@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:1138416722.370897.6450@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> My boss just asked me to do a Cobol code assessment for our company.
> He has given me no guidelines on what is expected of me. I have worked
> with cobol for 20 years, so I know it quite well. I am not to use any
> 'tools' for creating metrics on the code. I guess the company is
> trying to decide if our programs are 'good enough', or whether we
> should be rewriting them in some newer technology. We have both
> on-line systems for data entry and batch processing. They want me to
> have an analysis for them in a week. HELP! What do I do? fyi... I
> plan to talk to everyone on the team.... from programmers, system
> analysts, data base administrators, help desk, users, etc. But, they
> want me to examine the CODE itself as well. This is the piece that I
> am unsure of. If you have any web addresses of how to do this, it
> would be MOST appreciated. Also, if any of you have done this, if you
> could show me your final analysis (without the company identifying
> information, of course!) THANKS
>
I browsed through the thread and you have received some excellent responses
and advice.

However, I have the following observations:

1. Managers who can't communicate clear requirements need to be "trained" by
the people who work for them. Instead of posting to a forum saying you have
no idea what is wanted and requesting help, I would suggest sitting down
with your boss and asking him to clarify what exactly he wants and what his
goals are. Tell him you need some direction. (It is ostensibly his job to
give it to you...). Tell HIM you have no idea what is wanted or how to go
about delivering what he needs. Get HIM to think about what he actually
wants, so that neither your time nor his is wasted.
2. What kind of manager asks you to do a job, then says you can't use tools?
:-) Managers who set their staff up to fail are best avoided...
3. Find out exactly what HE means by "assessment". There are many possible
assessments you could make of the code and some very useful ones have been
pointed out right here. But which of them is what he requires?
4. Managers have a right to manage, but staff have a right not to accept
tasks that are not properly defined or simply pointless. Tell him you don't
feel able to provide what he wants or needs without further clarification.
In order to provide something of value, you need to understand what aspects
of the code need to be assessed, and how the assessment will be used.

Using metrics is a very good way to avoid bias and opinion affecting the
outcome. Why would he NOT want you to do this?

It is easy to speculate on why this assessment is being made, but it would
be a lot simpler to just ask him.

If I were you, I wouldn't undertake this without a much clearer picture of
what you are supposed to be assessing.

Far too often, people just do what they are told (or attempt to...) and this
doesn't help bad managers get to be better ones.

Pete.



.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: cobol code assessment
    ... Managers who can't communicate clear requirements need to be "trained" by the people who work for them. ... Tell him you don't feel able to provide what he wants or needs without further clarification. ... In order to provide something of value, you need to understand what aspects of the code need to be assessed, and how the assessment will be used. ... (Yes, I have reported to people with whom this approach wouldn't have worked for various reasons, all of which are reasons to consider finding another job.) ...
    (comp.lang.cobol)
  • Re: Pocket PC 2003. Keeps displaying old project name in title bar
    ... Shh, don't tell boss about this, I'm ... due for an assessment next week (assess as in female donkey I think) ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsce.embedded)