OSS Consulting tols

[Jack]

--- Jared <jared at hatwhite.com> wrote:

> > From: Frank Wiles <frank at wiles.org>
> > 
> > On Mon, 11 Apr 2005 15:12:47 -0700 (PDT)
> > Jack <quiet_celt at yahoo.com> wrote:
> > 
> >>> Anyione know of any OSS consulting tools for
> >>> estimating software projects?
> >>> Or anyone have any tips on how to estimate hours
> for a
> >>> php/mysql project? LAMP project?
> >>> I have a consulting gig and could use any tips
> in
> >>> calculating different tasks. I have not had to
> estimate
> >>> hours for PHP or mysql before and am a bit out
> of my
> >>> depth on time to code and fix. Analysis, design,
> >>> testing, etc I can probably handle.
> > 
> >   You won't find a good tool for this. The main
> reason is it would
> >   differ greatly between a PHP/MySQL project, a
> Java/Oracle project,
> >   and a mod_perl/PostgreSQL project.  Not to
> mention skill and speed
> >   of the coder, ...
> 
> The previous is all good, experienced advice. The
> original
> question is for a Blue Book of Quotes for Software
> Development,
> but I really cannot imagine such a thing, since
> software development
> has so many variables. The feller who codes it in 30
> hours might
> do a better job than the one who does it in 10
> hours, and there
> really is no way to calculate all of that.

First, I'd like to thank Frank and Jared for
responding. Secondly, I'll be adding pages to an
existing website. So once I look at the existing code,
I'll know whether I have CSS and what not to use.
Thirdly, what I really meant by my question was that,
while I've written PHP code and web based SQL queries.
I've not timed my coding on these and was really just
looking to find out what time other coders might be
spending on a PHP+MySQL pages. While, I realize this
could be a very wide gap based on near infinite
variables, it would be helpful for me to extrapolate
complexity of certain tasks and then using ratios for
various tasks to apply my own times to each task.

So, perhaps I should restate my question. But, I'll
just wing it instead. 

Lastly, I was also asking (albiet not very good) about
a tool, that would allow one to plug in times and
other 
characteristics and have it generate timelines, gantt
charts, and proposal/estimate documents. Sure, a
spreadsheet could be created to input the values and
do the calculations and this could be merged into a OO
merge document with an embedded script that generates
a nice professional looking estimate document. But, it
would be nice if there was something already done
rather than re-invent the wheel.

Oh, well. I guess I'll just have to make my own
wheels.

Thanks again guys,
Brian D.


		
__________________________________ 
Do you Yahoo!? 
Yahoo! Small Business - Try our new resources site!
http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/resources/