RE: Re[2]: IBM pushing Java

[Colin Williams <Williamsc@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

At any software development company, a programmers time is money. If you
are spending time rewriting old code that does the job, that is time
that is going to be better spent writing new enhancements to the
application, that will bring in new money
(this is the view that management would give!)

                -----Original Message-----
                From:   eric.delong@pmsi-services.com
[mailto:eric.delong@pmsi-services.com]
                Sent:   Monday, March 22, 1999 5:23 PM
                To:     MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com
                Subject:        Re[2]: IBM pushing Java 


                     Sure, as a programmer, it easy to look at an
application and say 
                     "Gee, this is a bunch o' $#@%, we ought to rewrite
it." However, 
                     the initial response by management is ALWAYS leave
it alone. How 
                     does one quantify the long term benefits of a
costly rewrite? How 
                     can one prove that a rewrite will produce a better
system? Which 
                     will provide the most benefit for the least
expense? I'm sorry to 
                     say that the bean counters rarely understand the
real issues 
                     involved in maintaining legacy systems, and
invariable fall back to 
                     "leave it alone". 
                     
                     JMO,
                     eric.delong@pmsi-services.com


                ______________________________ Reply Separator
_________________________________
                Subject: RE: IBM pushing Java 
                Author:  <MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com > at INET_WACO
                Date:    3/22/99 8:14 AM


                The term "brittle" in this sense makes complete sense!
I used to wonder why
                some programmers would spend days on a small change, and
i come to find out
                it is because they feel that "if I change one thing it
will break something
                else."

                This is a sure sign of:
                1.  Poor design
                2.  Band-aid after bandaid applied

                Time for a re-write!  :)

                Brad

                > -----Original Message-----
                > From: boothm@ibm.net [mailto:boothm@ibm.net]
                > Sent: Saturday, March 20, 1999 11:07 AM
                > To: MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com
                > Subject: Re: IBM pushing Java
                > 
                > 
                > I have a question along these lines:  I refer to much
of the 
                > old code that I see as being brittle.  I don't know
exactly 
                > why I started using that term but it does seem
appropriate.  
                > Touch something, and something breaks somewhere else.
change 
                > a line of code and suddenly some whole section starts 
                > behaving differently. 
                > 
                > Have others noticed this?  Does this word make sense
to 
                > others, or am I speaking badly?  It is important to me

                > because I feel we must constantly fight against this 
                > brittleness or suddenly we have applications that are
no 
                > longer useful or repairable.  Its usually at this
point that 
                > I hear the "We need some PCs to do this" speech.
                > 
                > 
                > In <199903200957_MC2-6EB2-7239@compuserve.com>, on
03/20/99 
                >    at 09:56 AM, John Carr <74711.77@compuserve.com>
said:
                > 
                > 
                > >BTW,  With that management attitude,  How come you
still 
                > aren't useing 
                > >RPGII ?    And I bet they are the same Management who
complain about 
                > >their applications are getting older.
                > 
                > >John Carr
                > >EdgeTech
                > 
                > -- 
                >
-----------------------------------------------------------
                > boothm@ibm.net
                > Booth Martin
                >
-----------------------------------------------------------
                > 
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