>>It seems from my observations that the trend not so many years ago was that the developer’s role had evolved to be, simply stated, a programmer. He/she received requirements and wrote code based on those requirements. There was a so-called “box” around the developer’s responsibilities. Now it looks to me that the trend has changed (in my opinion, for the better) where now more often the developer will work along with an analyst and learn the business on different levels. The developer may sit in on business meetings, perhaps even meet with clients.
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>>I’d like to hear some opinions from fellow developers on this subject.
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>>Thanks,
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>Troy;
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>Those companies I have worked for that have been successful have included the programmer in meetings related to the software project under development. Some houses I have worked for wrote custom applications or custom addons for third party products. I have also worked as a consultant which I enjoy except for finding new clients – that can take a lot of time and effort!
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>The role of the software developer has changed within the last 10 years and is dependent upon the requirements of the place of employment. Even if you are a consultant you should be familiar with aspects of development from needs analysis to SQA. Some skills sets are in more demand than others and familiarity with Case and Modeling Tools can be a true asset. Some places I have worked require special skills from each programmer and no one person is expected or required to “do it all”. The smaller the shop – the greater the responsibility.
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>Another important aspect of programming is being aware of the programming environment you are creating for. I have written applications for a number of fields – science, medicine, government, manufacturing, nuclear power generation and business is a short list. I have back ground and understand in each of these areas. Without an understanding and appreciation of the process involved attempting to create a “software solution” may in fact miss the mark.
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>Tom

That's one thing I like about working at the Dept of Rev. The legislature passes a law requiring the DoR to track something or collect taxes on something, etc.... Some department is given the responsibility to do that. The folks that are going to run the programs set down with the analyst/programmer (me or one of the other 15 coders here) and we work out wha the software needs to do, then coder writes it and the dept tests it and into production it goes. The laws are always changing, hence the needs and requirements change. Licenses change from annuals to two staggered biannuals, amd one has to keep the annual running while the staggered biannuals gear up. Constant changes. I simply love it! Never a dull moment!