I try to never show my code to a manager. No good can come from it. On Fri, Mar 15, 2024 at 4:25 PM Seymour J Metz <sme...@gmu.edu> wrote:
> You have to love it when a manager tells you not to use a COBOL verb but > instead to use COBOL.. > > Fortunately, some <https://mason.gmu.edu/~smetz3/#bosses> bosses are > better than that. > > -- > Shmuel (Seymour J.) Metz > http://mason.gmu.edu/~smetz3 > עַם יִשְׂרָאֵל חַי > נֵ֣צַח יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל לֹ֥א יְשַׁקֵּ֖ר > > ________________________________________ > From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List <IBM-MAIN@LISTSERV.UA.EDU> on behalf > of Farley, Peter <0000031df298a9da-dmarc-requ...@listserv.ua.edu> > Sent: Friday, March 15, 2024 4:19 PM > To: IBM-MAIN@LISTSERV.UA.EDU > Subject: Re: Learning one's tools > > +1 from me on continuing to learn the tools of our profession. I use > STRING and UNSTRING where they make sense, and I am still learning new > things about their use every now and then. Life-long learning is the only > path to happiness and success. > > I got the same ridiculous pushback from a senior manager one time on the > use of “sophisticated” SORT verbs like JOIN because “. . . no one but you > will know how to fix it when it breaks . . . let someone do it in COBOL > instead . . .”. > > Peter > > From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List <IBM-MAIN@LISTSERV.UA.EDU> On Behalf > Of Bob Bridges > Sent: Friday, March 15, 2024 12:38 PM > To: IBM-MAIN@LISTSERV.UA.EDU > Subject: Learning one's tools > > > To rant on a related subject, I once worked at a company that instituted > code reviews; a new program would be gone over by a half-dozen coworkers to > be sure it adhered to local standards. This sort of thing is always > painful to the coder, and nevertheless (I admit reluctantly) can have > considerable value if done right. One problem I had with it, though, is > that the standards we created for ourselves admitted that there are times > when exceptions should be made for special cases, and yet when those cases > arose no exceptions were ever allowed; the team invariably flinched, leaned > back in their seats and said "no, that's not according to our standards". > > > > One particular example always rankled: Whenever someone felt the need to > use a STRING or UNSTRING command (I should have said we were COBOL > developers), the team always struck it down on the grounds that STRING and > UNSTRING are unusual commands and some COBOL coders would be unfamiliar > with it. My contention here is that that's absolutely true, and it's the > job of the COBOL coder to ~learn~ the STRING and UNSTRING statements, as > tools of his profession. I never persuaded anyone to that view, though. > > > > --- > > > > This message and any attachments are intended only for the use of the > addressee and may contain information that is privileged and confidential. > If the reader of the message is not the intended recipient or an authorized > representative of the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any > dissemination of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have > received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by > e-mail and delete the message and any attachments from your system. > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, > send email to lists...@listserv.ua.edu with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, > send email to lists...@listserv.ua.edu with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to lists...@listserv.ua.edu with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN
