Thread

So, I’ve been a hobby PHP Developer for the last 8-9 years. I’ve never done development professionally. Until recently. I’ve been drafted to create a specific app.

What is your development process?

What things do you have defined before you even start throwing down code?

Any other thoughts beyond what I’ve asked here?

I’d like to do this right from the outset and not run into to many snags.

See I don’t know how far people do this, but since I was at University doing Software Engineering I was taught to do things by the book. This involves all the modelling of the system, case studys etc.

1. First off talk to client and ask them what they want.
2. Go away do some brain storming on like websites and get back to them with site design and ideas.
3. If they like the designs, create models of the DB and how all the files will interact. Checking the models with UML diagrams and use-case models.
4. If these are all OK I start coding, starting off with any little modules and plugins I will need.
5. Check the website meets the specifications, and test it.
6. Hand over final to client, after more testing and redesign if needed

May be too long winded but I find by doing it properly I don’t get, “Oh that would have been better to do it like this”. Also means in a few months time I can go back and see why I did something.

Visit WackyWebs.net for our full work flow but here is a snip it:

1. Brief Checked - Mock-up’s made - On-line Account Created*
2. Mock Approved - Design and Features Finalised, awaits approval
3. Design / Features Approved - Coding Begins
4. Account Updated with access to your site or software when it reaches beta stage
5. Final approval required
6. Project transferred to a hosting of your choice and signed off.

*the On-line Account is for Our Project Management Software, OPMS, which allows us to interact with the user more efficiently.

More information at WackyWebs.net.

My usual workflow:

1) think about all modules needed, what will be hard and what will be easy

2) template - html+css+images

3) database structure

4) main modules

5) additional modules such as f.a.q./contact form/etc

6) validating code

7) client’s approval

8) fixing minor glitches

Pretty similar to Mantis M, but sometimes there’s a bit of compromise depending on the situation and what suits both client and myself.

I got lucky with the client - totally prepared with documentation outlining features, relationships.. everything. Makes development cake.

Appreciate the responses. Gives me a steady base to work off of.

Damn, you guys do all the coding AND design?  There is only so much one person can do and learn.  As the world of development gets more complex this is becoming less and less possible unless you are going for the most simple sites.  I read an article by a Flash guy on Freelance switch a while back and he said that he specializes in one area of Flash because he knows he cannot be an expert at it all, and that is just flash!

Why not band together with a good designer so that one person can focus on design while the other can focus on coding?  Theoretically you can turn more projects and do better quality at both.  People who code all day will in most situations be worse designers than people who design all day and the same for the opposite.

Mixing design and coding is just too much gear switching for me. Luckily I am in a situation where I get to offload the design to someone else.  I would rather spend all day doing one thing I am good at and then branch off on things that complement that one thing.

That said, I will make couple of concessions before I go. Flash is as wide of an area as “web development” in general.  You have pretty much all the elements of web development (coding, design, etc) and then go ahead and throw in animation and movies.  Also, as the world is supposedly getting more complex, many web sites are still quite simple.  Many sites can also get by with a simple design which can easily be handled by the designer/coder.  Still, I am glad I am in a bigger team.  😉

That would be the best option but at the moment that’s not possible for me and probably most people.

Yeah, PHPing-only would be soo cool. But as long as i work alone/in-small-teams, i’ve to do a lot of templating too :(

RE: doing graphics and code.

I find that when I’m writing a lot of code my hobby becomes drawing, taking pictures, building 3d models, or using Photoshop/Illustrator. When I’m doing a lot of design, my hobby becomes writing code. They say a person has to have a job and a hobby; when the hobby becomes the job a person must find a new hobby. I like that my two favorite pasttimes, coding and designing (a close third is Guitar Hero 😊 ) are interchangable where I work.

Heh, maybe I need to get a life but my day job is coding for clients and my hobby is coding my personal projects.  😉

My Day Job is School and GCSE’s whilst my time is coding for Clients and Personal Projects

Hehe. Same here. 12th (last) class all day long + coding all night long :p

5 months left 😛 and then… freedom!

I agree w/ John.  I specialize in coding only.  If a client comes to me and says “I want you to build me a website and only you”  I reply, “We’ll have you ever built you own house(usually they answer yes)”  Then I say,  “did one person build your house or did were there alot of contractors and one guy making sure everything got done?”  That explains it for em… Sometimes though if I don’t have a ton of work to do I will dive into the design/Css portion of things just for the fun of it.  But it’s important to let your clients know that they’re paying you to get the site done, not to waste your time and their money doing things that you don’t normally do.