I'm going to have to disagree here. I'd wager that the average programmer has a better understanding of writing code that has:
a) proper specifications and design
b) robust error handling
c) strong typing
d) etc
Of course, there are always deadlines that result in shoddy code, and there are certainly some shoddy programmers. But the average scripter (in my experience) seems to have far fewer clues on how to write robust, reusable, defensive code than the average programmer. The average scripter doesn't know much about IDEs, debugging, source control, unit tests and all the other goodies that make maintaining large bodies of code easy.
There's nothing wrong with writing scripts – especially for things that just require a few lines of code. Trying to maintain something that has 1000+ lines of code is a nightmare when scripted using VBS/JScript
Cheers
Ken
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] On Behalf Of Al Mulnick
Sent: Sunday, 30 July 2006 10:17 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [ActiveDir] ldp in ADAM-SP1
I have to say that's weak logic joe. Well, good logic, but weak assumptions.
Tool writers are no more likely to prevent unforseen mistakes than a script writer. On the plus side, if you write your own script, you'll have plenty of time to test it and will have gained a great deal more knowledge than you previously had. Mostly about how not to do it, but that's better than figuring that out in production or worse, trusting the tool writer to have done the work for you and to have guessed what you wanted done.
joeware tools excepted in most cases of course ;)
On 7/29/06, joe <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
I am curious about this statement
While you can use the command line tools as much as possible, as joe and Guido both pointed out, consider rolling your own scripts if you absolutely cannot do what you *need* to do at the GUI.
In general, scripts are more dangerous than the command line tools because there are a lot of screwups you can make in a script that a tool may not make because hopefully a full blown tool writer understand the permissioning model and the dev work behind it than a script writer. It is quite easy to use a script and to add 30 duplicate ACEs to an ACL. I can't count the number of times I have seen things like that. There is no guarantee that a commandline tool won't do the same but there are fewer and hopefully more experienced people writing command line tools than scripts.
You and joe are in the same boat :)
I understand where the logic for the generalization comes from. My experience and instinct tell me to disagree with the both of you and to interpret the generalization in a different manner. I've worked with and met WAY too many programmers to think that I'd prefer them writing tools vs. a script writer to get the job done.
At the end of it all, it really comes down to the right tool for the job. I see no difference between a person writing a script to get something done and somebody writing a tool that the person who otherwise would have written a script would now have to write a batch file to use. Not sure the best written tool would be any better and the person writing the batch "wrapper" would have even less understanding of the underpinnings of the tasks than they would if they wrote the script.
C'est la vie, no?
On 7/30/06, Ken Schaefer <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
- Re: [ActiveDir] ldp in ADAM-SP1 Al Mulnick
- RE: [ActiveDir] ldp in ADAM-SP1 Ulf B. Simon-Weidner
- RE: [ActiveDir] ldp in ADAM-SP1 Ulf B. Simon-Weidner
