The start-up algorithm is the list of commands that get sent when RGS receives a commsOnline command from an EGM to initiate G2S communications. The list of commands is automatically filtered by the devices present in the EGM’s descriptorList. In the standard RGS, you can include or exclude G2S commands in the fixed start-up algorithm list, which is useful if your EGM doesn’t support one or more of the commands in the list, but you cannot reorder any of the commands or change any settings within any of the commands.

In the Tester Toolkit, the Start-up Algorithm editor is enhanced to provide you with complete control over the order of commands and their contents, to customize the algorithm as needed to simulate any host.You can also save a copy of the modified algorithm, making it easy to switch between different versions to meet various test environments.

Why would you need that much flexibility, you ask? Let’s take a look.

Whether you are an EGM developer coding against a particular host, a tester trying to improve integration with a specific vendor or trying to troubleshoot an issue in the field, being able to recreate the start-up algorithm accurately can save countless hours in tracking down issues. In any case, the process efficiencies and product improvements spell big savings.

If you are pre-testing EGMs before moving them to the slot floor, not only can you find issues before they happen in a live environment, you’ll have the information you need to better communicate issues back to the vendor. This means faster issue resolution and easier installs.

Creating custom algorithms in RGS is easy with a simple drag-and-drop interface.

Once you’ve created a custom algorithm, just make it the active RGS start-up algorithm and start communications with the EGM. You can choose to run the algorithm to the end or to step through the algorithm, which lets you choose when to send each command or to skip commands altogether.

For more information on the Tester Toolkit, head over to the RGS product page. If you’d like to try it out, just let us know.

The #1 thing I see is the feedback loop. The most successful apps, the ones that are downloaded the most, constantly have reviews that say “the developer listened to me and got back to me.” Even for the apps that have growing pains (adapting to new hardware, adapting to OS updates or adding new features) the customers are forgiving if they feel part of the process, part of the loop. Otherwise excellent apps are downgraded if the developer, for whatever reason, chooses not to respond to customers.

I am a prime example. I have worked with a small development shop with an app that worked on my original Droid, but died on my Droid X. I am pretty sure the developers couldn’t afford to get a Droid X, so they used me as their test lab. They were very responsive, very involved and I never felt abandoned. This feedback loop kept me from dumping their app and looking for an alternative.

The #2 thing that I see in the most successful apps is a continuous stream of releases. Bug fixes, corrections for different hardware, new features, even small tweaks are part of a steady stream of updates. And the best developers go out of their way to acknowledge that the changes are driven by their customers.

There are a number of other interesting attributes of successful apps that I could add, but these are the main factors that strike me as revolutionary in terms of software developed for the consumer market.

Whether by choice or by the desires of the market, the Android marketplace has adopted many of the practices found in the Agile movement. I would venture that with the proliferation of these devices, the way customers interact with, and the expectations they have from, software developers in markets of all sizes and shapes are going to fundamentally change. A new relationship is being forged between the customer and the developer. I think this new relationship will be a primary factor in deciding who wins and who loses going forward.

Here at RadBlue, we live Agile, breath, Agile and see its benefits daily.

Welcome to the new world.