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Introduction

In this conversation, Stacy and Nick, two software developers, discuss important aspects of their project. Stacy points out that their documentation is not keeping up with the code changes, which can make it hard for new team members to understand the project.

Nick agrees and emphasizes the importance of up-to-date documentation for team coordination. They also talk about the need to establish metrics to measure their progress, such as tracking code complexity, code changes, and test coverage.

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Conversation

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Dialog

Stacy: I've also noticed that our documentation is lagging behind our code changes.

Nick: That's a good point. Keeping documentation current is essential for onboarding new team members and ensuring everyone is on the same page.

Stacy: Finally, we should establish some metrics to quantify our progress. Tracking things like cyclomatic complexity, code churn, and test coverage could give us a better picture of where we stand.

Nick: Agreed. Let’s set up a meeting with the team to discuss these issues and come up with a plan to tackle our code complexity head-on.

Stacy: Sounds like a plan. The sooner we address these issues, the better. Thanks, Nick!

Nick: Anytime, Stacy. Let’s make our codebase a model of maintainability and performance!

Stacy: Another thing that’s been on my mind is dependencies. Our project relies on so many external libraries. It’s becoming a nightmare to manage them all.

Nick: Yeah, dependency management is critical. We should look into automating some of this and making sure our dependencies are up-to-date.

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Vocabulary

1. lagging behind - Falling behind or being slower than expected.

   • Translation: atrasado

2. onboarding - The process of integrating a new employee into an organization or familiarizing a new customer with a product or service.

   • Translation: integração

3. on the same page - Having a shared understanding or agreement about something.

   • Translation: alinhado

4. metrics - Standards of measurement by which efficiency, performance, progress, or quality of a plan, process, or product can be assessed.

   • Translation: métricas

5. cyclomatic complexity - A software metric used to measure the complexity of a program's control flow. It is often used to indicate the complexity of a program and how difficult it might be to test or maintain.

   • Translation: complexidade ciclomática

6. code churn - A measure of how much code changes over a period of time, often used to understand the stability or volatility of a codebase.

   • Translation: rotatividade de código

7. tackle - To confront or take on a problem or task with determination.

   • Translation: enfrentar

8. the sooner the better - An expression indicating that something should be done as soon as possible for the best outcome.

   • Translation: quanto mais cedo, melhor

9. rely on - To depend on someone or something with confidence.

   • Translation: depender de

10. critical - Extremely important or essential to a particular process or situation.

• Translation: crítico

11. up-to-date - Current or modern; reflecting the latest information or trends.

• Translation: atualizado

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Sample sentences

1. lagging behind

   • The project is lagging behind schedule due to unforeseen technical issues.

   • She realized she was lagging behind her classmates in math and decided to get a tutor.

2. onboarding

   • The onboarding process for new employees includes training sessions and mentorship programs.

   • Effective onboarding can help new hires acclimate quickly and feel welcomed in the company.

3. on the same page

   • It’s important that all team members are on the same page before we start the project.

   • We had a meeting to ensure everyone was on the same page regarding the new company policy.

4. metrics

   • We use various metrics to assess the performance of our marketing campaigns.

   • Key metrics like customer satisfaction and retention rates are crucial for our business strategy.

5. cyclomatic complexity

   • The cyclomatic complexity of this function suggests it might be difficult to maintain and test.

   • Reducing the cyclomatic complexity of our code can improve its readability and maintainability.

6. code churn

   • High code churn can be a sign of an unstable codebase that needs better management.

   • By analyzing code churn, we can identify areas of the project that may require more rigorous testing.

7. tackle

   • We need to tackle the issue of declining sales immediately.

   • The team came together to tackle the problem and find a solution.

8. the sooner the better

   • We should submit the report as soon as possible; the sooner the better.

   • If we can resolve this issue quickly, the sooner the better for everyone involved.

9. rely on

   • We rely on our IT department to keep our systems running smoothly.

   • She had to rely on her instincts to make the right decision in the absence of clear data.

10. critical

• It is critical that we meet the project deadline to secure funding for next year.

• Proper documentation is critical for maintaining the software over time.

11. up-to-date

• Make sure your antivirus software is up-to-date to protect against the latest threats.

• The company newsletter keeps employees up-to-date with important news and events.

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Exercises

Initial role play

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Final role play

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Personal experience

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Homework

Fill-in-the-blanks

2. We need to ___________ the issue of declining sales immediately.

3. The project is ___________ schedule due to unforeseen technical issues.

4. Effective ___________ can help new hires acclimate quickly and feel welcomed in the company.

5. By analyzing ___________, we can identify areas of the project that may require more rigorous testing.

6. The ___________ of this function suggests it might be difficult to maintain and test.

7. High ___________ can be a sign of an unstable codebase that needs better management.

8. It’s important that all team members are ___________ before we start the project.

9. We should submit the report as soon as possible; ___________.

10. Proper documentation is ___________ for maintaining the software over time.

11. We use various ___________ to assess the performance of our marketing campaigns.

12. She realized she was ___________ her classmates in math and decided to get a tutor.

13. The company newsletter keeps employees ___________ with important news and events.

14. She had to ___________ her instincts to make the right decision in the absence of clear data.

15. Reducing the ___________ of our code can improve its readability and maintainability.

16. Keeping documentation current is ___________ for onboarding new team members and ensuring everyone is ___________.

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Reading comprehension

1. What metrics does Stacy suggest tracking to quantify their progress?

2. What does Nick agree to set up with the team?

3. What is Stacy’s concern regarding dependencies?

4. What solution does Nick propose for managing dependencies?

5. What issue does Stacy notice about their documentation?

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Produce

Create a new dialog or text with the following words:

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