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The article focuses on the test driven development (TDD), a software development technique in which a developer writes tests before he or she writes any production code. It explores the different types of tests such as the unit and acceptance tests, and emphasizes the importance of developing code with the TDD. Moreover, it describes the fundamental steps in TDD which include decision making on what to test, writing a test and refactoring.

The article presents an alternative boiler plate solution with the use of the Execute Around Method (EAM) Finally For Each Release (AToTP) pattern. It states that boiler plating database resource cleanup together with EAM provides a high level of encapsulation and safety without compromising on the database resources' control. It avers that lessening the number of code that has to be written each time also minimizes resources leaks and possibility of mistakes.

The article depicts a real problem and demonstrates how it is solved in Java with Model View Controller (MVC) and acquires familiarity with the Java 6 and Java Swing. It is stated that the implementation of MVC and the demonstration on how easy it is to manipulate, control and display the projects, shows the advantages of MVC over the original design. Furthermore, it cites the ways on how the problem was overcome easily.

The author reflects on the features of DirectoryTransverser. He stresses that such DirectoryTransverser introduces parts such as Directory Info and FileInfo. He also emphasizes that such parts account for the creation of a suitable factory for the formulation of the mocks in testing real objects of production. Further, he reveals on the assistance provided of the GetDirectories and FileInfo for the associated functions of the parts of DirectoryTransverser.

The article focuses on the efficiency of CruiseControl.Net in solving the problems of software engineers in the continuous integration of software development process. CruiseControl is known as an effective continuous integration system designed to monitor a source control system. A software engineer could download the so-called system from the CruiseControl.Net Web site and could choose on its various formats including source and a Windows MSI installer.

Focuses on writing a logging stream in computer programming. Difficulty in the use and extension of the C++ standard library's streams; Description of a logging stream; Function of the stream buffer and the output stream; Example of a logging stream buffer.

The article describes two streams the author developed for use within his C++ testing framework, Aeryn. Aeryn has two output streams. One is minimal and only reports test failures and the test, pass and failure counts. The use of the two streams introduces two specific problems. The stream sink for both streams must be passed into the function that runs the tests. The same information must be sent to both streams, which results in duplicate code. Streams are a hugely powerful part of the C++ language, which few people seem to make use of and even fewer people customize for their own uses. INSET: Elephant: C++ Memory Observer.

Presents an application exercise that aims to validate Extensible Markup Language (XML) files and display element structure. Downloading and utilization of the Microsoft XML parsers into a C++ computer language; Parsing of XML strings and files; Production of the element structure resembling an indented tree. INSET: An XML Mini-Glossary.

The use of "new" and "delete," in the programming language C++, can cause problems for both novice and expert developers alike. Using new without a coresponding delete results in a memory leak. Some languages such as C#, Java and Python provide managed objects that can be created on the managed heap leaving deletion to the garbage collector. Smart pointers allow similar behaviour to be achieved in C++, with the added bonus that they provide detemiinistic destruction of the object to which they point. However, the user still has to know that they should be using smart pointers and many don't. In this article, the author is going to look at a way of writing C++ objects that can only be created on the heap, and that must be managed by smart pointers.

The article presents a comparison between the ways a non-managed programming like C++ manages resources compared to managed languages like Java and C#. The author is critical on the definition of the Resource Acquisition is Initialisation (RAII) which is a mechanism available as a direct result of C++ having classes with constructors and automatic and deterministic destructors. Moreover, the Execute Around Method in garbage collected languages is also discussed.

A letter to the editor is presented in response to the article "C++ Unit Test Frameworks-a Comparison," by Chris Main.