Toolsmith

Definition

Toolsmith

the role that is played when a person develops and maintains software tools used on an endeavor

Classification

As illustrated in the preceding figure, Toolsmith is part of the following inheritance hierarchy:

• Type: Concrete
• Superclass: Engineer
• Subclasses:
  • None

Responsibilities

The typical role-specific responsibilities of a Toolsmith are to:

• Evaluate existing commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) and in-house tools for use on the endeavor.
• Obtain, install, configure, and extend existing tools, whether COTS or in-house.
• Develop new software tools, when necessary.
• Ensure that these tools remain operational.

Toolsmiths typically inherit the general role responsibilities from the role method component.

Expertise

To fulfill these responsibilities, toolsmiths typically should have the following expertise, training, and experience:

• Deep knowledge of popular commercial tools including how to install and configure them.
• Deep knowledge of the endeavor’s process.
• Solid previous experience as a:
  • GUI designer,
  • Software designer, and
  • Programmer
• Solid knowledge of human factors.

Tasks

Toolsmiths typically perform the following role-specific tasks in an iterative, incremental, parallel, and time-boxed manner:

• Environments Engineering:
  • Environments Needs Assessment
  • Vendor and Tool Evaluation
  • Vendor and Tool Selection
  • Tool Acquisition
  • Environments Design
  • Environments Production
• Software Component Design and Webpage Design
  • Design Reuse
  • Design Production
  • Design Documentation
• Software Implementation:
  • Implementation Reuse
  • Programming
  • Debugging
• Unit Testing, Software Integration Testing, and Functional Testing:
  • Test Reuse
  • Test Design
  • Test Implementation
  • Test Execution
  • Test Reporting

Toolsmiths typically inherit common role tasks from the role process component.

Teams

Toolsmiths typically perform these tasks as members of the following teams:

• Environments Team

Work Products

As members of these teams, toolsmiths typically produce all or part of the following work products:

• Environments Works Products:
  • Project Environments Description Document
  • Product Selection Report
• Design Works Products:
  • Software Design Document (tool design)
• Implementation Works Products:
  • Software Component (tool implementation)
• Test Works Products:
  • Test Report
  • Test Harnesses.
  • Test Scripts.
  • Test Suites.
  • Test Cases.
  • Test Data.

Guidelines

• This role is useful even if no tools are to be produced for the endeavor. Because most operating systems and tools have defects that cause them to fail on a regular basis, toolsmiths can save the development staff many hours by keeping the development tools functioning properly.
• This role typically inherits the common team guidelines from the roles process component.