In an earlier post I promised to make the MSF Analysis Tool available for download.

You can now download it at GotDotNet.

Go there, try it out and let me know what you think. Or better yet, improve the tool and share your enhancements at project workspace on GotDotNet.

You can get a sneak peak at the read me file here:

Read Me - MSF Analysis Tool.doc (34.5 KB)

The first-ever Boise Code Camp was a huge success! It was an all-volunteer effort based on the Code Camp Manifesto. There were 35 presentations on a variety of topics, and the 138 attendees gave it a big thumbs up. I thoroughly enjoyed the event, both as an attendee and a presenter.

As the lead for the methodology track I had the honor and privilege of moderating a panel discussion that explored methodology from several angles: people, environment and tools. The panel members were (from left to right) Dan Ray (Healthwise), Doug Seven (Microsoft), Kevin Call (Micron Technology), Jason Grundy (Treetop Tech), David Starr (Healthwise) and Jim McKeeth (Washington Group). These guys had a wealth of experience to share, and the audience came up with some great questions and observations as well.

I also gave a 90 minute presentation on Software Factories that included a demonstration of the DSL Tools as well as a demonstration of the Guidance Automation Toolkit. The presentation included a discussion of Software Product Lines and also covered the software factory process. Apparently the audience thought it went pretty well, giving the presentation an average rating of 8 out of 9.

 
 

The MSF Analysis Tool parses MSF Process Guidance XML source documents into a SQL Server database, allowing you to explore the structure of any process guidance based on the MSF template.

Ron Jacobs, a Product Manager on Microsoft's Patterns and Practices team, just started a podcast called ARCTalk on MSDN Channel 9 . His first show is an interview with Steve Cook on the subject Software Factories and Domain Specific Languages.

Steve brings a unique perspective to this subject. He is a Software Architect in the Enterprise Frameworks and Tools group in Microsoft Visual Studio, working on the DSL Tools modeling technology. He is also a co-author of the book Software Factories: Assembling Applications with Patterns, Models, Frameworks, and Tools, which is destined to become a classic. What's really interesting about Steve is that he was a Distinguished Engineer at IBM, whom he represented in the UML 2.0 specification process at the OMG. After having worked so closely on the UML 2.0 specification, he decided it was not moving in the right direction and instead teamed up with Jack Greenfield and company to take things in a completely new direction.

The interview was very informative and well produced. Check it out!

You might be interested in listening to a podcast on MSDN's Channel 9 web site on the subject of model-driven development. Part of the ARCast series of Architecture podcasts, this podcast consists of a panel discussion between Jack Greenfield, Stevn Kelly, Bran Selic, Mauro Regio and myself. The first installment from this panel, ARCast #5, already has over 9,000 views, making it the second most popular of all of Microsoft's podcasts.

ARCast #5 (Model-driven development, week 1)
ARCast #6 (Model-driven development, week 2)
Architecture Podcast Series 

After you listen to the podcast, be sure to leave a comment on the Channel 9 web site, or post a comment to this blog with your thoughts.  Thanks!