[C++-sig] Re: Software development levels

[David Abrahams]

Daryle Walker <darylew at hotmail.com> writes:

> On 2/24/04 7:54 PM, "David Abrahams" <dave at boost-consulting.com> wrote:
>
>> Philip Austin <paustin at eos.ubc.ca> writes:
> [SNIP]
>>> Note that numeric::array is still in alpha -- it's lacking the two
>>> Numeric functions (ones and zeros) that allocate arrays on the Python
>>> side.  One alternative is to use the helper functions at
>>> http://www.eos.ubc.ca/research/clouds/num_util.html
>> 
>> Excuse me?  Alpha?!
>> 
>> It may be missing a couple of features, but it's hardly alpha
>> software.
>
> If it's missing features, I would consider it alpha-level software.  Recall
> that the alpha/beta/final scale relates to feature completeness, NOT code
> quality!  

I don't "recall that", and it seems to contradict what you say
below...

> The two usually go hand in hand, but not always.  (There are
> programs that are awesome even in the alpha stage, and craptacular final
> stage programs.  The latter leads to accusations of "rushing the SW out the
> door and forcing the beta-testing on [paying] users".)

If it's all about features and not quality, what do the terms "alpha
testing" and "beta testing" mean?

-- 
Dave Abrahams
Boost Consulting
www.boost-consulting.com