RE: Service Programs VS normal Programs (Jon Paris)

> From: James H. H. Lampert
> 
> > "Don't fix it if it ain't broken" is the excuse given by those with
a
> high
> > tolerance for mediocrity.
> 
> No, it is not.
> It is a plea to avoid the sort of useless tinkering that rarely adds
> useful features, but consistently causes code bloat.
> 
> It is a rallying cry to avoid replacing the practical with the slick.

I weigh in heavily on James' side here (and no fat jokes, either
<grin>).

While I understand Jon's point that SOMETIMES you can get benefits out
of a rewrite, and I also sympathize with the idea that a lot of old code
is bad spaghetti code, the truth of the matter is that, if it works, it
may well not need to be touched.  Ever.

It's kind of like web-enabling.  Not every program needs to be
web-enabled.  Do you want anonymous Internet access to your charts of
accounts maintenance program?

Instead, it's a business decision, and the answer to whether the
corporation would benefit from rewriting a given program or application
can only be ascertained on a case by case basis.  There is no pat
answer, and no magic formula, except maybe the oldest formula in the
book: what do I get bottom line?

Joe