Re: The narcissism of small code differences

Path	csiph.com!usenet.pasdenom.info!weretis.net!feeder1.news.weretis.net!feeder4.news.weretis.net!feeds.phibee-telecom.net!newsfeed.xs4all.nl!newsfeed3.news.xs4all.nl!xs4all!newsgate.cistron.nl!newsgate.news.xs4all.nl!post.news.xs4all.nl!not-for-mail
Return-Path	<rosuav@gmail.com>
X-Original-To	python-list@python.org
Delivered-To	python-list@mail.python.org
X-Spam-Status	OK 0.039
X-Spam-Evidence	'H': 0.92; 'S': 0.00; 'c++,': 0.07; 'subject:code': 0.07; 'is': 0.09; 'lawrence': 0.09; 'rewrite': 0.09; 'bug': 0.12; 'buggy': 0.16; 'fixes.': 0.16; 'from:addr:rosuav': 0.16; 'from:name:chris angelico': 0.16; 'oddity': 0.16; 'porting': 0.16; 'referencing': 0.16; 'exception': 0.16; 'wrote:': 0.18; 'trying': 0.19; 'written': 0.21; 'example': 0.22; 'mon,': 0.24; "i've": 0.25; 'header:In-Reply-To:1': 0.27; 'message-id:@mail.gmail.com': 0.30; 'code': 0.31; '(most': 0.33; 'position.': 0.33; 'comment': 0.34; 'something': 0.35; 'johnson': 0.35; 'no,': 0.35; 'received:google.com': 0.35; 'version': 0.36; 'explains': 0.36; "i'll": 0.36; 'should': 0.36; 'sometimes': 0.38; 'nov': 0.38; 'handle': 0.38; 'to:addr:python-list': 0.38; 'pm,': 0.38; 'itself': 0.39; 'supporting': 0.39; 'to:addr:python.org': 0.39; 'even': 0.60; 'new': 0.61; 'simply': 0.61; 'subject:The': 0.64; 'more': 0.64; 'due': 0.66; 'benefit': 0.68; 'frequently': 0.68; 'hardly': 0.84; 'proves': 0.84; 'rick': 0.93; 'contrary': 0.95; '2013': 0.98
DKIM-Signature	v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=20120113; h=mime-version:in-reply-to:references:date:message-id:subject:from:to :content-type; bh=7seiuNtufZnVoNfNtlyqoSMb+lXnsFImTeqbP90TOEI=; b=LxuRpplo8WxLLBuUAMW7hQA4rbaL0xq8EghToI1yEpuVi3dBmjoGD7gGg/Ejf9pv9t S5miFB5eXWmDNmpsAzLLlhVFsx94IJFbGplkfGwRxAEwiw3hKwTz67/rYHNR7P75YjTv SofylJ+ZDiFOWD4t32Am6nuPXDRR38yS7SvV//AbXOrwUzrB2hoyqgxAAbptOSrOu36W 6H/udw8YfnwF/9E1qJJYPcrkYId07FIdkeGrV6zBpXz6Ldib3rnQSju00OlxeRnw4ldB dXMMVTi7LgSzmHGIUYDjb4yCygSSasoiCch4K1Xo9CbtoTQFKfXi1QaXFhpxMz84JxO7 244w==
MIME-Version	1.0
X-Received	by 10.68.197.234 with SMTP id ix10mr394692pbc.185.1384163598858; Mon, 11 Nov 2013 01:53:18 -0800 (PST)
In-Reply-To	<l5q7ph$5te$1@ger.gmane.org>
References	<527e2d9c$0$29972$c3e8da3$5496439d@news.astraweb.com> <b794f36e-d43e-428e-b8e5-adcf986fabfc@googlegroups.com> <l5q7ph$5te$1@ger.gmane.org>
Date	Mon, 11 Nov 2013 20:53:18 +1100
Subject	Re: The narcissism of small code differences
From	Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com>
To	python-list@python.org
Content-Type	text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
X-BeenThere	python-list@python.org
X-Mailman-Version	2.1.15
Precedence	list
List-Id	General discussion list for the Python programming language <python-list.python.org>
List-Unsubscribe	<https://mail.python.org/mailman/options/python-list>, <mailto:python-list-request@python.org?subject=unsubscribe>
List-Archive	<http://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-list/>
List-Post	<mailto:python-list@python.org>
List-Help	<mailto:python-list-request@python.org?subject=help>
List-Subscribe	<https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list>, <mailto:python-list-request@python.org?subject=subscribe>
Newsgroups	comp.lang.python
Message-ID	<mailman.2364.1384163608.18130.python-list@python.org> (permalink)
Lines	25
NNTP-Posting-Host	2001:888:2000:d::a6
X-Trace	1384163608 news.xs4all.nl 15903 [2001:888:2000:d::a6]:48312
X-Complaints-To	abuse@xs4all.nl
Xref	csiph.com comp.lang.python:59057

Show key headers only | View raw

On Mon, Nov 11, 2013 at 8:25 PM, Mark Lawrence <breamoreboy@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
> On 11/11/2013 06:50, Rick Johnson wrote:
>>    In a nutshell the author attempts to plead for the
>>    "longevity" of "old code bases" simply on the basis of his
>>    assertion that "old code bases" are "less buggy" and
>>    contain more "wisdom" than their new brethren -- both of
>>    which are absurd conclusions!
>>
>
> I recall that the demise of Netscape was due to them trying to completely
> rewrite code of this nature.  The exception that proves the rule?

No, I would say Netscape's experience is a strong supporting example
of the contrary position. I've frequently had need to reimplement
something (most recently as part of porting functionality from RosMud,
written in C++, to Gypsum, written in Pike), and referencing the old
code is the best way to benefit from X years of corner-case
discoveries and bug fixes. Sometimes I'll even copy and paste a
comment from one version to another, because it perfectly explains
some oddity that the code has to handle - even if the code itself is
completely rewritten. Definitely if hunks of code can be kept, they
should be. The old code base *IS* less buggy and contains more wisdom.
Hardly absurd.

ChrisA

Back to comp.lang.python | Previous | Next — Previous in thread | Find similar | Unroll thread

Thread

The narcissism of small code differences Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2013-11-09 12:42 +0000
  Re: The narcissism of small code differences Mark Lawrence <breamoreboy@yahoo.co.uk> - 2013-11-09 13:02 +0000
  Re: The narcissism of small code differences Rick Johnson <rantingrickjohnson@gmail.com> - 2013-11-10 22:50 -0800
    Re: The narcissism of small code differences Mark Lawrence <breamoreboy@yahoo.co.uk> - 2013-11-11 09:25 +0000
    Re: The narcissism of small code differences Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2013-11-11 20:53 +1100

csiph-web