Hi everybody,

I am involved in a multi-member project regarding the development of a CFD code. We are looking for best practices in term of development, documentation, validation, communication and interfacing, and code integration. I have already found some staff from book and the internet. However, I would be interested if some of you could share your experience like: "do" and "do not", good resources, tricks and traps.

Thank you a lot in advance.

jojo

Hi JoJo:

'You have found some staff from book and the Internet'. Can you please recommend some good references to me? Thanks.

-khai ching-

- Medical software quality, from the US Food and Drug Adm. - Thinking in C++ www.lullabot.com/articles/best_practices_in_open_source_development - Wikipedia

You do not say if this is commercial code, shared code in a CFD research group or whatever. The best practice will be different because the purpose of the code and the objectives of those writing the code are different.

You also may need to say something about the culture. For example, some mainly long established groups abhor the bloat, complexity and lockin of much modern software whereas many younger groups embrace and even evangelise about it. Neither approach is necessarily wrong but the appropriate tools for these two cultures will be different.

Also whether it is cross platform CFD suite with lots of GUI pre and postprocessing or a basic CFD solver.

Thank you for your answer.

Let's say it's all of this. I am interested in the very basic principles which are common to any software developments.

> Let's say it's all of this.

Clearly it isn't and so I will not respond further.

Dear colleagues:

I am now developing an in-house CFD solver for a company (contract personnel). Since now I am the only one who develop the code so far, it works fine when I am dealing with development jobs with moderate complexity. However, when more peoples are called for to develop a more complex code, I am wondering:

(1) how can we communicate with each other to ensure smooth and efficient development process?? What are the best practices that we can follow?

(2) what is the proper style that we can follow (any standards that we can adapt), both in the CFD code itself and the necessary reports?

Any references to the above issues? My primary concern is to search for a more professional way in coding practice, particularly in CFD.

(3) I plan to recruit a CFD programmer (permanent staff) in the company for my project, with at least 3 years experience in CFD coding. What will be a typical salaries(a range will be fine) for him/her? It is hard for me to do any benchmarking in South East Asia coz. CFD coding is really niche in my region.

Please advise. Many thanks..

> (1) how can we communicate with each other to ensure smooth and
: efficient development process?? What are the best practices that we can
: follow?

Talk to each other. All management is overhead and small groups of people positively inclined to performing the job normally perform best with minimal formal management. Of course, if you are not physically located next to each then you will have to work harder at communicating.

> (2) what is the proper style that we can follow (any standards that we can
: adapt), both in the CFD code itself and the necessary reports?

The proper style is whatever the company paying for it tells you to do. If they say nothing then go with whatever is comfortable. Although there can be unwise things to do all that is usually important is that people pull in the same direction with the minimal level of distraction from what is generating wealth.

The approach to coding depends to some extent on what is trying to be achieved. The two things that are most often in conflict are having to create something that works quickly or maximising quality.

> (3) I plan to recruit a CFD programmer (permanent staff) in the company for
: my project,

You are contractor but you are hiring permanent staff for the company?

> with at least 3 years experience in CFD coding.

Why? The difference in productivity between a good programmer and a poor one is enormous and has little to do with experience.

> What will be a typical salaries(a range will be fine) for him/her?

No idea.

> It is hard for me to do any
: benchmarking in South East Asia coz. CFD coding is really niche in my
: region.

Benchmarking of what?

hi andy:

Thanks for ur advise, andy.. In fact, I am doing some benchmarking in terms of monthly salary allocated for a permanent CFD programmer.

Andy, can you leave me your email address so that I can discuss with you?

Thanks.

> Andy, can you leave me your email address so that I can discuss with you?

Sorry but no. I am just chatting on the CFD forum during breaks.