Software Engg. Survey

Mike P. Smith mike at edson.ee.UAlberta.ca
Thu Oct 12 22:12:56 AEST 1989


---------------------------------
ACTC Technologies Inc.  is conducting a survey on UNIX development
tools, specifically in the area of source code management and control
(SCMC).We are hoping to find out what tools are currently used in the
UNIX environment and what functionality users would expect future tools
to provide.  This is not a marketing survey.

We would appreciate your response to this survey before the closing date
of October 18, 1989.  Your answers should be made by placing an X or a
check mark in the spaces provided.

Your completed survey can be mailed electronically to 

   alberta!edson!mike (UUCP address)

or 

   you can mail your response via the postal service to:

   ACTC Technologies Inc.
   Att: Doug Howe
   350, 6715 - 8th Street N.E.
   Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2E 7H7
   Tel: (403) 295-5932

Thank you for your participation.

1.  What position do you hold with your organization?

    __ Project Manager      __ Project Leader
    __ Programmer           __ Student
    __ Professor
    Others (please specify) _________________________

2.  How many years of UNIX experience do you have?

    __ less than 1 year      __ 1-3 years
    __ 4 or more years

3.  How many people are usually assigned to the software
    development/maintenance projects on which you work?

    __ 4 or less             __ 5-9
    __ 10 or more

4.  How are you currently using distributed or external file
    systems that you may have? Choose one or more.

    __ Not Applicable
    __ For a centralized backup
    __ For centralized storage
    __ For enlarging your file system
    __ Jointly with a distributed data base structure
    Others (please specify)       _____________________________
    ____________________________  _____________________________

5.  How do you plan to use distributed or external file systems
    in the future? Choose one or more.

    __ Not Applicable
    __ For a centralized backup
    __ For centralized storage
    __ For enlarging your file system
    __ Jointly with a distributed data base structure
    Others (please specify)       _____________________________
    ____________________________  _____________________________

6.  What method are you using to access your external or distributed
    file systems?  Choose one or more.

    __ Network File System (NFS) compatible
    __ Remote File System (RFS) compatible
    __ Andrew (AFS) compatible
       Other (please specify)
    _______________________________________
    _______________________________________
    _______________________________________

7.  Are you currently using or planning to use a Local Area
    Network in the support of your software development
    activities?

    __  Yes                  __ No

8.  Which types of systems do you use in your software development
    activities? Choose one or more.

    __ Stand Alone Workstations      __ Stand Alone Mainframes / Minis  
    __ LANs of Workstations          __ Networks of Mainframes / Minis  
    __ LANs connected to Mainframes / Minis 
    Others (please specify)          _____________________________
    ____________________________     _____________________________

    
9.  Indicate your usage of the following types of SCMC (source code
    management and control) tools.
    (using 0 Never, 1 Seldom, 2 Most of the time, 3 Always)

    __ Editors
    __ Regeneration Tools
    __ Source Code or Version Control  Tools
    __ Project Management Tools
    Others (please specify)
    __ ____________________________
    __ ____________________________
    __ ____________________________ 

10. Do you require that your SCMC tools allow for simultaneous
    modifications by multiple developers?

    __ Yes                 __ No
    __ Not Applicable                               

11. Do your SCMC tools store their information in a data base?

    __ Yes                 __ No
    __ Not Applicable

12. Are the formats of the information stored by any of
    your SCMC tools public?

    __ Yes                  __ No
    __ Not Applicable

13. What type of security do you require for your software 
    development activities? Choose one or more.

    __ Individual user access     __ Group specific access      
    __ Version access             __ Password protected access
    Others (please specify)       _______________________
    __________________________    _______________________

14. Which source code or version control tools do you use?

    __ none                       __ SCCS
    __ RCS                        __ Internally Developed
    Others (please specify)       ______________________
    __________________________    ______________________

15. What information does your source code or version control
    system store?  Choose one or more.

    __ Not Applicable               
    __ Author                     __ Creation Date / Time        
    __ Modification Date / Time   __ Modification Author         
    __ Access Information         __ Locking Information         
    __ Who / When Approved        __ Who / When Audited          
    __ Reasons for Changes        __ Functional Specifications   
    __ Design Specifications      __ Test Plans
    __ Password Protection
    Others (please specify)       _______________________
    ___________________________   _______________________

16. What information would you expect future source code or version 
    control systems to store?  Choose one or more.


    __ Not Applicable               
    __ Author                     __ Creation Date / Time        
    __ Modification Date / Time   __ Modification Author         
    __ Access Information         __ Locking Information         
    __ Who / When Approved        __ Who / When Audited          
    __ Reasons for Changes        __ Functional Specifications   
    __ Design Specifications      __ Test Plans                  
    __ Password Protection
    Others (please specify)       _______________________
    ___________________________   _______________________

17. The information you defined above should be recorded at which
    of the following levels? Choose one or more.

    __ File  Level                __ Line Level
    __ Character Level
    Others (please specify)       ________________________
    ___________________________   ________________________

18. Which of the following functions are performed by the source
    code or version control system you use? Choose one or more.

    __ Not Applicable               
    __ Version Freezing           __ Version Regeneration         
    __ Version Creation           __ Version Merging              
    __ Conflict Detection         __ Supply an Audit Trail        
    __ Source Code Locking
    Others (please specify)       ________________________
    ___________________________   ________________________

19. Which of the following functions would you expect to be performed
    by future source code or version control systems? Choose 
    one or more.

    __ Not Applicable               
    __ Version Freezing           __ Version Regeneration         
    __ Version Creation           __ Version Merging              
    __ Conflict Detection         __ Supply an Audit Trail        
    __ Source Code Locking
    Others (please specify)       ________________________
    ___________________________   ________________________

20. How would you prefer to interface with a source control system?
    Choose one or more.

    __ Command Level              __ Via your tools                  
    __ As a Subsystem             __ Transparently (managed by system) 
    Others (please specify)       ______________________________
    ___________________________   ______________________________

21. Which tool do you primarily use for the automatic regeneration 
    of your software systems? 

    __ none                       __ Make
    __ Augmake                    __ GNUmake
    __ Shell Scripts              __ Internally developed
    Others (please specify)       ______________________________

22. Which tool do you use as your primary editor?

    __ VI                          __ Emacs
    __ Brief                       __ EC Editor
    __ Fred
    Others (please specify)        ____________________________         

23. Where does interaction occur between the SCMC tools you are
    currently using?

    Between:

    __ Not Applicable
    __ Editor and Source Code Control tool                               
    __ Editor and Regeneration tool                                      
    __ Regeneration tool and Source Code Control tool                    
    Others (please specify)
    _____________________________________
    ____________________________________
    _____________________________________

24. Where would you expect the interaction to occur between the
    SCMC tools you will use in the future?

    Between:


    __ Not Applicable
    __ Editor and Source Code Control tool                               
    __ Editor and Regeneration tool                                      
    __ Regeneration tool and Source Code Control tool                    
    Others (please specify)
    _____________________________________
    _____________________________________
    ____________________________________

25. Where do you see UNIX to be limited in the support of your
    current or future development needs? Choose one or more.

    __ Not Limiting
    __ Security                          __ File System Security
    __ Applications                      __ User Interface             
    __ Source Code or Version Control    __ Editors
    __ External Files System Support     __ Distributed File System
                                            Support
    __ Regeneration of Software Systems  __ Multiple Machine Type 
                                            Connectability
    Others (please specify)              ____________________________
    ________________________________     ____________________________


Registered Trade Marks used in this document are owned by:

NFS - Sun Micro Systems
RFS - AT&T
UNIX - AT&T
RCS - AT&T



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