Closing the feedback cycle

The 1.2.3 release of JUnit Max uploads any error log entries to a server (junitmax.appspot.com) and also pings the server on startup. I would like to know more about how people are using Max so I can more carefully focus my development efforts. When the mailing list is quiet I also find myself just wondering if anyone is out there using the product.

This release paves the way for real opt-in/out usage profiling and eventually for user-visible permanent storage of test history. Baby steps.

I learned (again) a lesson about not doing too much. I had the idea for a general error log uploader that would offer an extension point to any plugin. Getting all that generality in place took three days. By the time I was done I realized I had too much. By making it specific to Max I was able to delete 2/3 of the code.

No sense making it pretty if it only has a 1 in 5 chance of surviving a month. This equation flips when features are likely to live longer or when developing infrastructure, but that’s not where I am right now. Right now I’m trying to figure out what people will pay for. Get it done well today.