Source Code Evaluation

In Software Configuration Management, one of the most common asked questions is what SCM source code tools should I use.

The answer is, it depends on your source code evaluation criteria.

There are so many variables and considerations that go into the selection process.

Now, the evaluation may be slightly different depending on your software development team and management requirements.

• Costs
• Development Processes
• Tool Functionality
• Performance
• Usability
• Administration

Most only focus on the licensing costs of the particular tool, but there are more associated costs that go into figuring out the true costs of a source control tool. I will attempt to list a few of them, but you should consider this only a jumping off point.

• Licensing and vendor support contracts
• Server and storage costs
• Tool administration costs, such as dedicated admins and training
• Process supportability costs

Development Processes

Obviously, you must know and understand your software development environment and processes before deciding what your source control tool requirements should be.

Yet, many make the mistake of trying to find the right tool and then forcing their development team's process into the tool. This is a painful and often losing battle.

First off, if your developers do not like using the tool[s], your life will be miserable.

Document your software development process requirements and pick a tool that supports it.

Tool Functionality

There are many pieces to this category. Here is a list to consider:

• Parallel development will require decent branching and merging facilities
• Distributed development teams will require multiple site support
• Multiple development platforms will demand an interoperable source control tool
• Tool integration requirements

This seems to be a very simple issue from my perspective, but for whatever reason.

If a tools performance is a any hindrance in the development of software, it should be replaced with a better performing tool as fast as possible.

Do not waste valuable developer and engineer time with a poor performing tool.

Nothing will destroy the morale of a development team than a 5 minute check-in or a tool operation that requires them to stop and wait for an unreasonable amount of time.

Usability

Usability is the . I have supported almost ten different source control tools over my career.

I have seen an organization determine that a tool was not intuitive and I have seen other development teams determine that very tool to be the most intuitive.

I realize that different companies will have a diverse sent of developers with different skill sets and different backgrounds, but the above example was of two companies working on the same platform and similar processes.

I find this requirement to be the most subjective.

That is all I have to say on Usability.

Administration

Now I realize I have already called out administration and training in the cost section, but I really want to emphasize the tools administration requirements as a true consideration in the tools selection process.

For instance, if a tool because of security reasons or difficulty of use requires to have an admin perform certain tasks, such as labeling or merging.

This tool may be a very expensive tool from a resource consumption perspective.

Source Code Evaluation Links