SSW Rules & Standards

Do you believe in Standards?

Whenever you're doing something more than once there should be a standard. SSW standards manage our coding, project management, email and phone communication. However, we don't follow them blindly. If someone suggests a better way of doing something, then we change the standard.

Do you agree with them all? Are we missing some? Let us know what you think.

Management

Rules to Successful Projects * Popular *
Rules to Successful Sales and Account Management
Rules to Better Scrum using TFS
Rules to Better Specification Reviews
Rules to Better Product Owners
Rules to Better Software Consultants - Dealing with Clients
Rules to Better Software Consultants - Working in a Team
Rules to Better Software Consultants - Happy Clients
Rules to Better Designers
Rules to Better CRM
Rules to Managing Dead Time
Rules to Better Accounting
Rules to Better Timesheets
Rules to Better PA (aka Personal Assistant)
Rules to Better Induction
Rules to Better Jira
Rules to Better Proposals

Communication

Rules to Better Adding Rules
Rules to Better Communication
Rules to Better Email
Rules to Better Inbox Management
Rules to Better Outlook
Rules to Better Outsourcing
Rules to Better IM
Rules to Better Slack
Rules to Better Remote Meetings
Rules to Better CRM for Users
Rules to Better CRM – Mail Merge
Rules to Better Calendars
Rules to Better Technical Documentation
Rules to Better Presentations
Rules to Better Powerpoint Presentations
Rules to Better Event Management
Rules to Running Better User Groups
Rules to Better Blogging
Rules to Better Twitter (plus Facebook and other Social Networking)
Rules to Better Microsoft Teams
Rules to Better Giving and Taking Feedback

Software Development

Rules to Better .NET Projects
Rules to Better Architecture and Code Review
Rules to Better Azure
Rules to Better MVC
Rules to Better Bug Management and Feedback
Rules to better CRM for Developers
Rules to Better Installers
Rules To Better Kendo UI
Rules to Better Microsoft Project Server
Rules to Better Nuget
Rules to Better SharePoint Development
Rules to Better SQL Server Schema Deployment
Rules to better User Acceptance Tests (UAT)
Rules to Better WebAPI
Rules To Better WPF And Silverlight
Rules to Better Access UI
Rules to Better DevOps
Rules for Error Handling
Rules to Better GitHub
Rules to Better Open Source Software
Rules to Better TypeScript
Rules To Better Windows Forms
Rules to Better Application Performance
Rules to Better Xamarin
Rules to Better RayGun
Rules to Better Code Quality
Rules to Better Data Analytics
Rules to Better Apps
Rules to Better Ionic
Rules to Better Code
Rules to Better Code (legacy)
Rules to Better Clean Architecture
Rules to Better Code Commenting
Rules to Better Bots
Rules to Better Bots

Websites

Rules to Better Websites - Development
Rules to Better Website Development - ASP.NET
Rules to Better .NET Core
Rules to Better Websites - Deployment
Rules to Better UI (Bootstrap)
Rules to Better JavaScript and jQuery
Rules to Better Application Insights
Rules to Better bit.ly
Rules to Better Sitefinity
Rules to Better Websites - Layout And Formatting
Rules to Better WordPress
Rules to Better YouTube
Rules to Better Angular
Rules to Getting Started with Angular
Rules to Better AngularJS
Rules to Better IIS
Rules to Better Internationalization
Rules to Better Websites - Branding and Marketing
Rules to Better Websites - Graphics
Rules to Better Websites - Navigation
Rules to Better Websites - Writing Rules
Rules to Better Websites - Tuning and Maintenance
Rules to Better Google Analytics Reports
Rules to Better React
Rules to Better Websites - Online Transactions [TODO: Ben Cull]
Rules to Better Newsletters

Design and Presentation

Rules to Better Interfaces (Controls)
Rules to Better Interfaces (Forms)
Rules to Better Interfaces (General Usability Practices)
Rules to Better Interfaces (Popups and Messages)
Rules to Better Interfaces (Reports, Charts and Dates)
Rules to Better Interfaces (Windows Applications)
Rules to Better Interfaces (Wizards)
Rules to Better Video Recording
Rules to Better Interfaces (Mobile)

Infrastructure and Networks

Rules to Better Active Directory
Rules to Better CRM Migration from 3 to 4
Rules to Better CRM Migration from 2011 to 2013
Rules to Better CRM Migration from 2015 to 2016
Rules to Better Data Protection Manager (DPM)
Rules to Better Hyper-V
Rules to Better Hyper-V Clustering
Rules to Better Internet and Networks
Rules to Better Skype for Business (formerly Lync)
Rules to Better Presentation PC's
Rules to Better Security
Rules to Better SharePoint
Rules to Better SharePoint for End Users
Rules to Better SharePoint Migration from 2007 to 2010
Rules to Better SharePoint Migration from 2010 to 2013
Rules to Better SharePoint Migration from 2013 to 2016
Rules to Better SharePoint Virtualisation
Rules to Better SQL Server Administration
Rules to Better Windows Defender
Rules To Better Windows Servers
Rules to Better Exchange Server
Rules to Better PCs
Rules to Better Networks
Rules to Better SharePoint Migration from 2016 to Online
Rules to Better Backups
Rules to Better OneDrive
Rules to Better Windows 2003 [TODO: Kiki]
Rules to Better ISA Server [TODO: Kiki]
Rules to Better Virtual PCs [TODO: Kiki]

Application Lifecycle Management (ALM)

Rules to Better TFS Migration to the Cloud
Rules to Better TFS 2015 Migration
Rules to Better TFS 2012 Migration
Rules to Better TFS 2010 Migration
Rules to Better Continuous Deployment with TFS
Rules to Better Octopus Deploy
Rules to Better Branching And Builds
Rules To Better TFS Administration
Rules To Better TFS Customization
Rules to Better Version Control with Git
Rules to Better Version Control With TFS (AKA Source Control)
Rules to Better Project Management with TFS (Creating and Managing Release Plans) [TODO: Uly]

Products

Rules to Better Microsoft Surface
Rules to Better Control4

Marketing

Rules to Better Marketing
Rules to Better Marketing - Facebook Ads
Rules to Better Microsoft Dynamics Marketing (MDM)
Rules to Better Branding
Rules to Better Google Rankings * Popular *
Rules to Better Outbound Calls
Rules to Better Inbound Calls

Reporting Solutions

Rules to Better Access Databases
Rules To Better Reporting Services
Rules to Better Power BI
Rules to Better Business Intelligence
Rules to Better MS SQL Reporting Services [TODO: Mehmet]
Rules to Better Reporting Solutions [TODO: Mehmet]
Rules to Better Business Intelligence [TODO: Mehmet]

Others

Rules to Better Cars
Rules to Better Health and Exercise in the Workplace
Rules to Better Flights

Software

Rules to Better Firefox
Rules to Better Zendesk

.NET/SQL/TFS Code & Application Design

Rules to Better SQL Server Databases - Admin
Rules to Better SQL Server Databases - Developers
Rules to Better Unit Tests
Rules to Better Connection Strings [TODO: Matt]
Rules to Better Large .NET projects [TODO: Partho]
Rules to Better Windows Forms [TODO: William]
Rules to Better Windows Forms - ClickOnce [TODO: William]
Rules to Better Version Control with TFS [TODO: Matt]
Rules to Better Setups [TODO: Greg]
Rules to Better DotNetNuke [TODO: Greg]
Rules to Better LINQ [TODO: Matt]
Rules to Better VB6 Migration to .NET [TODO: William]
Rules to Better Developers [TODO: Matt]
Rules to Better Regular Expressions [TODO: Mark]
Rules to Better Exchange Server [TODO: Calum]
Rules to Better WPF & Silverlight [TODO: Matt]
Rules to Better Command Lines [TODO: Matt]

Access Code & Application Design

Rules to Better Access Applications (front-ends inc. queries) [TODO: Mehmet]
Rules to Upsizing your Access Database to SQL Server [TODO: Mehmet]

Operating Systems

Rules to Better Windows 7 Deployment [TODO: Kiki]
Rules to Better Windows Vista Deployment [TODO: Kiki]
Rules to Better Windows Vista Compatibilities [TODO: Kiki]

Microsoft CRM

Rules to Better CRM – Mail Merge
Rules to Better Microsoft CRM data synchronization [TODO: Mehmet]

The Best Third Party Tools

Introduction
The Best Tools for .NET (General)
The Best Tools for Web Forms Development
The Best Tools for Web Forms Development (ASP.NET Controls)
The Best Tools for Windows Forms Development
The Best Tools for Windows Forms Development (Controls)
The Best Tools for SQL Server
The Best Tools for Access
The Best Tools for Outlook
The Best Tools for Internet Explorer
The Best Tools for Windows
The Best Tools for Network
The Best Tools for Exchange Server
The Best Tools for Pocket PC
The Best Tools for Laptop
The Best Websites
The Best Tools for Visual Studio
The Best Tools for Team Foundation Server Power Tools
The Best Tools for Windows Mobile

Naming Conventions

SQL Server Object Naming Conventions [TODO: Matt]
SQL Server Index Naming Conventions [TODO: Matt]
SQL Server Relationship Naming Conventions [TODO: Matt]
SQL Server Stored Procedure Naming Conventions [TODO: Matt]
SQL Server Stored Procedure Formatting Standards [TODO: Matt]
.NET Object Naming Conventions [TODO: Matt]
.NET Project Naming [TODO: Matt]

Why do we have all these rules? Read about the History of SSW Rules, published in CoDe Magazine.

If you find these suggestions interesting, you might also like to read SSW's Ideas for Better Software.

This is a great guide to follow when doing software (and specifically .NET) development. Very useful stuff! Scott Guthrie
General Manager, Microsoft Developer Division

If you havent had the pleasure of seeing Adam present, have a listen to the recent .NET Rocks! in which Adam talks to Carl Franklin and Richard Campbell and shares with them his rules. Frank Arrigo - Microsoft

It's a great DNR episode and it gives some great insight into why Adam is able to run such a tight development ship. Chris Auld

Listen/Download Adam's podcast:

DotNetRocks
Microsoft Website (mirror)

SSW Rules

Secret ingredients to quality software.