On Mon, 2007-06-18 at 22:14 -0700, Darren New wrote:

> > 
> > Where do you work that they have time to rewrite applications?  
> 
> I've worked at a variety of places where the code got rewritten pretty 
> much from scratch. Once it was to change languages to something 
> supported on different OSes.

Bad design decision at the start: Wrong language chosen, a proprietary
one, etc. Kinda supports my point.

>  Once it was to change fundamental 
> architecture. 

The one case that may have nothing to do with language choice. This
happens on occasion, especially when not following a proper SDLC
process.

> Once we redid it twice because the first was a prototype 
> grown out of hand and then for performance.

Again, this supports my point: Expect it to be around longer than you
might originally think and do it right the first time.

> 
> > trying really hard to think of any single application I have ever worked 
> > with that ever got "rewritten".

I'm actually going to re-write several applications (yes, I am
responding to Andrew here). The reason is to make them portable. They
are written using LabWindows CVI and can only run on Windows. We need
tools that will run on multiple platforms.

So, here's a re-write that also supports my point (actually 4
re-writes). This is the first time I've ever worked for a company that
had to have something re-written.

> 
> Again, our experiences differ. Proclaiming that I must be wrong because 
> my experiences don't match yours is unmotivating.
> 
> > I have *never* seen an app of useful size get rewritten.  *Ever*.  It 
> > gets upgraded; it gets extended; it gets ported.  But it never gets 
> > "rewritten".
> 
> Mozilla.
> 
> Plus, you probably don't work on a whole lot of customer-specific custom 
> software.
> 

I do. All the time. It's a large part of my job. Never re-written
anything that I wrote in the first place. I'm a lazy bastard. I don't
like doing more work even if I am paid to do it. I have other things I'd
rather be doing that re-write something I already wrote. So, I design
'em to last, be extensible, and be portable from the start if at all
humanly possible.

PGA
-- 
Paul G. Allen BSIT/SE
Owner/Sr. Engineer
Random Logic Consulting
www.randomlogic.com

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