Aside from the fact that the requirements sound like a total pain (but
hey, if it pays), couldn't acceptance testing happen on a server that
you both mutually have access to (so, not the final, live server)? That
would give the client (and you) good reason to expect that it will work
when installed on their real system.
Given what they want, your position doesn't seem unreasonable to us, but
only because we trust you. Given that the client doesn't want to trust
you (and that you can't be sure that you can trust them), I don't see
how negotiations will be anything but a nightmare. They want too much
and won't give you the things you'll need to deliver on time (and to get
paid when appropriate milestones are hit).
One person's (with nothing to lose) opinion ...
Mark
-----Original Message-----
From: Mike Kear [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Tuesday, May 15, 2007 4:05 PM
To: CF-Talk
Subject: OT: is this wrong on my client's part?
I have a client who is REALLY paranoid about access control and who
wants me to develop a complex shopping cart for him, but never have
access to his system. I have to submit my finished project on CD,
then he'll load it up and test it and let me konw if it works.
The site is a cluster of two servers, "probably on windows, not sure
at this state", and the CF will be "probably CF7 Enterprise". The
database will be definitely SQLServer2005.
I'm not allowed to use cookies of any kind, not allowed to use client
variables, not allowed to use sticky sessions, so that means i have to
write my own version of client variables, using UUID as url variables.
Oh and new UUID has to be issued on every single page view. The
shopping cart is multiple currency, has to be custom written, as does
everything else.
Because he wants to own outright all the IP in the project, no
pre-written modules can be used. Everything must be custom written for
him, so he can own all the IP.
I built the prototype on my shared server, and it was a very interesting
exercise for me, writing my own version of client variables, but it
wasnt without anguish. There were quite a few minutes spent scratching
my head figuring out how to do some of the parts of the site.
I am reluctant to deliver the site for acceptance testing without ever
having had the chance run the code myself on its finished environment,
or even having the chance to see what the environment is. (The
devil is in the detail all too often, dont you think?)
He's going to install my code on the servers, test it, then describe to
me what needs changing, or describe what's broken. (I wont be able to
see the errors for myself because it will be behind firewalls at
that stage). Then I'll fix the errors as described or make whatever
changes they request, submit the code on CD again, and they'll tell me
if i have fixed the problem.
So here's my question. I dont like this arrangement at all. And
i'm asking your opinion about what I should do.
My current inclination is to deliver the code as requested, but without
any warranties that it will work, since I have been required
to build it without any means of testing it in their environment. I
am thinking I'll submit my final invoice for the completion of the job
on an "as is" basis, and give them the CD with the code on it when i get
the cheque. Then bill them for every change they want made,
whether bug fix or enhancement. I figure i can get away with
(truthfully) saying "that might be an error on your system but it works
without that error on my test environment and since you denied me access
to your environment you will have to pay me to make a change."
Am i being unreasonable with this?
Cheers
Mike Kear
Windsor, NSW, Australia
Adobe Certified Advanced ColdFusion Developer AFP Webworks
http://afpwebworks.com ColdFusion, PHP, ASP, ASP.NET hosting from
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