By this I mean that once a new feature is implemented and tested on one platform (let’s say Windows), the programmer checks it into Subversion, then IMMEDIATELY checks it out on both Macintosh and Linux and compiles it.

Yuck. Here's how we do it:

  $ git commit
  $ git push origin HEAD:refs/for/master

The commit shows up in gerrit for code review. Immediately the buildbots (one for each platform) notice the change and attempt to compile it. The results are reported back to gerrit and a failed compile blocks the change from being submitted.

Assuming the change compiles cleanly and passes code review, it can then merged to the master branch. Importantly, broken code doesn't get checked-in in the first place.

Now, we happen to use git and gerrit and buildbot, but any decent system should have code review and a build farm that allow changes to be tested and reviewed before they are checked in.

If your developers aren't following some procedure (e.g., test compile on every platform), consider it may be because there is too much friction. Instead of firing the developers, ask why they aren't following it. Maybe other developers are impacted too and just have a higher tolerance for menial tasks, but those tasks are still costing the organization.

http://code.google.com/p/gerrit/

http://buildbot.net/trac

http://github.com/jaysoffian/buildbot/commit/e4c0d458374b9a0...

And if you happen to use hudson:

http://wiki.hudson-ci.org/display/HUDSON/Gerrit+Plugin

http://wiki.hudson-ci.org/display/HUDSON/Gerrit+Trigger