Gerhard's Papers

Software Development

RAD Rapids Methodology
Amplifies my original RAD Rapids paper to incorporates my learning over the last few years. Paper is styled after Kent Beck's Extreme Programming Explained. The methodology is way more traditional, but still seeks to be light and agile.

Software Development Methodologies
Extremely brief overview of the major software development standards and my personal list of methodology books.

Documentation
Describes the documentation I like to see created for a project and discusses applicable standards.

User Interface Design Essentials
I was real proud of a big red arrow I created and a page switch device that became a work flow manager, so I wrote a paper to show them off! (They are both in proprietary internal software, so I can't mention names.)

Data Modeling Concepts
Handout for the initial data modeling meeting to explaining what the basic terms mean. For example, logical data model, Entity Relationship Diagram, Data Element Dictionary.

Database Design Essentials
After reading a lot of books, I decided I should explain my own methodologies. Idea was to use in training the junior staff.

SQL Server Essentials
A learning tool I created when I was trying to transition from SQL Server 4.2 to 6.5.

Original RAD Rapids Methodology
Useful for shops which have a lot of small projects which can be handled by individual programmers. Representative of the chaotic nature of the way the RAD process typically seems to work. This particular paper was written in 1996.

Code Grading Scheme
Grades code from A to F. Incorporates both quick and through review methodologies into a single grading scheme.

Java Checklist

JSP Checklist
Designed to facilitate peer reviews by suggesting what should be reviewed.

How to Automate your Law Practice aka Document Assembly

Getting Started in Document Assembly
Document Assembly is the automated production of documents. Ask the user a few questions and spit out a document like a Will, Trust, or Contract. Document Assembly is how I became a programmer. While I was a lawyer, I developed techniques to automate my law practice. They may seem pretty obvious to software engineers, but this was pretty advanced for a lawyer in the late 1980s. Actually, I've been told is pretty advanced for lawyers in this century too!

I enjoyed the automating my law practice so much it became a serious hobby. At some point, I decided it may be more fun to see if I could get paid to do this hobby full time. I hooked up with Retrieval Systems which was making a document assembly system for a legal publisher, made the switch in 1988, and haven't looked back since!