Personal blog Job Week2 (case study of Microsoft Bing Dictionary client)

Summary: We have a lot of time to deal with the software, we have to play in class when the mobile games, buy train tickets website, contact with each other Weibo, and so are software, are worth analyzing. Why do you become their users? What did their team do right and what was wrong? Would you do better if you did it? Through a variety of case studies, reviews, debates, summaries, we can see the principles of software engineering in the practice of various manifestations.

Product: Bing Dictionary client (http://bing.msn.cn/dict/)

about the Microsoft Bing Dictionary client The case study

(Desktop version version 3.5.0)

First Part Research, Reviews

Research

1) Interview Object-Lin, my roommate, and team leader. The party abroad, at present in the dire Straits of GRE, and the use of online English dictionary.

2) software trial in the forest students

3) Lin classmate in use is the first query a word "bathos", in the words of the example found a bug, he used the Bing dictionary to look up the word, and then found the example of the blue Word highlighted part of the bug. Software in the data volume, interface without defects, the basic function is also realized, but the accuracy of worry.

4) Let me repeat the views of Lin classmate: Any network dictionary in fact I do not recommend the use, because inaccurate, if really want to use, the kind of British and English I still more recommended, after all, is a professional explanation.

Evaluation

What ' s bug? Software behaves differently than expectation.

By using all of the basic features of this software, I found the following four bugs that fit the definition:

Bug 1:ui Bug

A good quality software should first of all visually attract people's attention. UI (user Interface) is more and more heavy in software engineering, when people touch software, the first feeling is vision, then the user experience of software function. If the foundation of the vision is not well-played, it is likely to affect the user's experience. I found the bug in this software is a UI bug, I personally still feel more serious, after all, this bug is quite obvious. For example, the size and position of these selection boxes are obviously not placed well, the program interface maximized after the effect is still.

Bug 2: Bing Radio Bug

There are many small applications in this software, including "Bing Radio". Through the trial, I found that the app is a choice to play some of the classified English audio, can also be collected downloadable, as well as "dictation" function. Dictation is the ability to practice quick spelling while the audio is playing, and finally to compare it with the original text. In fact, a very good function, but because my speed can not completely keep up with its normal speed, so that when I am not aware of the time, the audio is over, the most important thing is that it does not pause, as it plays the next, I have written before the words before the sentence is completely emptied, and a hint is not. If you are interested, you can try it.

Bug 3: Translating bugs

There are some "settings" under the "translation" screen, as shown in the figure, which is the bug I'm reporting. At first, I did not understand "click Search word" is what meaning, and then put the mouse in the translation area, found that can click the translated word back to the dictionary to search for words, but after I turn off the "Click to search the word", you can still click the translation area of the word to search for words. After many experiments, to exclude the other role of this option, so you can assume that this is a bug.

Bug 4: Word matching bug

When the mouse passes the example sentence, the program will now refer to the word blue highlighting, and the translation of the same word matching operation, but the bug is obvious, the word did not match successfully, but it is highlighted. This bug is also found when Lin students use it.

Conclusion

So, in summary, I got the conclusion that--not recommended.

Part II Analysis

Time Estimate

By using this software, I summarize the function: Word query, sample query, translation, new words, back words, radio, single challenge, spoken English.

After reading the "plans and estimates" section of the "Requirements Analysis" chapter of the "Building law", I have made an estimate of the time requirements under the assumptions that I consider reasonable:

• Prerequisites: Team Size of 6 people, computer university graduates, and have professional UI support.
• This software is mainly for the use of 3C products to the English dictionary needs of the population, clear the target after the start of market research. 1 week
• After the investigation, the analysis of the product requirements and the functional design of the software are done. 1 week
• Let's say that we don't have to build a thesaurus to directly use a thesaurus that already exists in a wide variety of dictionaries, so we just use these thesaurus integrations together. 4 Days
• Begin to implement the functionality of the design and make a preliminary version. 2 weeks
• To test, to adjust the bug. 2 weeks
• Do the UI. If you have the support of a professional UI, it should be quick. 4 Days
• Organize some people to try, collect bugs and feedback, sum up and make corresponding adjustments. 1 week
• Publish the full version for promotion. 3 Days

Overall, the estimated time is about 2 months. (fully estimated, for reference only)

Similar software comparison

First PO a picture

This is a software manager I search "dictionary" to get the software information, a total of 41 (not fully statistics, including other languages and non-dictionary of auxiliary software, as well as the software not entered). We will not say anything else, take the most famous in the present, the most market share of the Youdao dictionary and lingoes Word bully as the object of comparison.

from development time. Lingoes first version released on September 1, 2006, Youdao Dictionary initial version September 18, 2007 released, Bing Dictionary April 2009 (this time may also be the time of the first update) released. In the market, most of the users of such dictionaries are biased towards lingoes and Youdao dictionaries. So, in Lingoes and Youdao to do the dictionary more and more well, the Bing dictionary to keep up with this pace.

the rating on the network. the ratings in the above figure are used for reference.

the comparison of functions. The following are all derived from network data. Baidu Encyclopedia is a Youdao dictionary function introduction and Wikipedia on the introduction of Lingoes, and the function of the Bing dictionary almost all can be reflected in the function of these two dictionaries. Through the comparison of function, it is obvious that Youdao dictionary and lingoes Word bully are more distinguished in function than Bing dictionary.

(Youdao Dictionary of the general function, from the Baidu Encyclopedia)

(Description of Lingoes's function, derived from Wikipedia)

In my personal opinion, Youdao dictionary through rich resources can get more content, and feel light and convenient, in addition to not offline search words. Lingoes can download many dictionaries, meet the offline search word function, and more professional. And for the Bing Dictionary, my first impression of this software is a similar to Baidu translation, Google Translate the same function of the software, although after the trial found that there are many additional features, but I do not seem to be in these features to find the most attractive and other software does not have the original features. So if I choose, my chances of choosing a Bing dictionary should not be great.

Pending improvement

As I mentioned above, the feature of this software does not appeal to me to choose him, that is why the other two software will give it down.

From the two above we can see Youdao dictionary and Lingoes Word Blaster two software features feature. So I think we can do more at the stage of "market research". Since this project already has a similar software, so if we have "to do a similar software" rather than "make a new software" such an attitude, so that the software does not have a market advantage, because like Youdao, lingoes they have been long before the development, it is a feeling in the "follow-up ”。

So how do you "make a new software"? How should my "new" feature be successful in attracting users to use it? Of course, you have to ask the user, in the market research should be more effort. We should ask the user when we are in the market research. "What do you think is the use of these online dictionary software that is uncomfortable and not used?" "What is your ideal online dictionary like?" "What do you think the software has to improve?" "This kind of problem, directly seize the user's appetite, find similar software does not have the function, let it call its own features, increase the strength of these features development, and so it listed you dare say no one likes it better than Youdao, Lingoes?

Part III recommendations and Planning

Q: This software has a lot to improve the part, if you are the project manager, how to improve to win in the competition?

• I think we can consider this issue in two ways-"feature" and "promotion"
• "Featured Features" please refer to the second part of "to improve"
• "Propaganda and promotion" To do well, the most important object to be clear, should be targeted to the needs of users, such as college students, contact with English speakers.

Q: What kind of products are available on the market? What kind of features do you want to design? Why do you want to do this instead of other features? Why does the user use your product/feature? Where is your innovation? can be analyzed with NABCD.

• At present the market has Youdao dictionary, lingoes Word bully, PowerWord-led various languages of the auxiliary online dictionary software.
• If I were to design, I would like to design a and watch the United States play while learning English function, basically is in the United States to watch the drama, the screen of the right hand will be based on audio or subtitles recognized words interpreted for understanding. (The design copyright Kang Jiahua all, without permission, no reprint or for commercial use)
• Why do you do such a feature? First of all, we look at the online dictionary of the user population of the age stage, college students occupy a much more proportion, and now the United States play so popular, this is not the case.
• First, the user because my characteristic function is the present market does not have, the Curiosity impels it to use; second, this feature will attract a large number of people who love American opera.
• Nabcd. N: On demand, we meet the needs of the people who love the American drama and want to learn English, which is not before. A: We may want to use speech recognition algorithms or image recognition algorithms. B: What benefits will it bring? English Learners learn English more easily, watching the United States play at the same time can learn English, double benefit. C: We have a new feature, with the SMA (Second Mover Advantage), although late into the market, but can play a tie. D: The promotion of our use of micro-blog, can be quickly promoted.

Q: If your team has 5 people, 4 months, you as a project manager, how should you configure roles (development, testing, artwork, etc.)?

• Only five people (plus me)? It means that the remaining four people are doing the development, testing and artwork. So as PM, I would like to arrange the role: 2 people do development, 1 people do test, 1 people do art. As PM, I naturally took all the rest of the work.
• Because we focus on features, we need to put more manpower on the development.

Q: Describe what your team does every week during the 16 week period in order to release the software as scheduled in the 16th week.

• If we were to allocate manpower in the way above, I would focus on the feature mining and implementation of these features within 16 weeks.
• 1–2 Week, market research, mining the current lack of such software features.
• 3–4 Week, the research integrates, discusses the characteristic function, does the overall design, including the summary design and the detailed design.
• 第5-9 Week, began to develop, realize the function. Also began to look for business cooperation.
• 第10-11 Week, complete UI, artwork.
• 第12-14 week, testing, including unit testing, integration testing and system testing, and resolving bugs.
• 15th Week, publicity and promotion.
• 16th week, release the software.

(No plagiarism.) Without permission, not reproduced)

Personal blog Job Week2 (case study of Microsoft Bing Dictionary client)