Re: Timeless Classics of Software Engineering
From: Nick Landsberg <SPAMhukolauTRAP_at_SPAMworldnetTRAP.att.net>
Date: Sat, 31 Jul 2004 01:55:38 GMT
Message-ID: <u_COc.356817$Gx4.204986_at_bgtnsc04-news.ops.worldnet.att.net>
>
>
> There's a bit of a problem with that; when SE's are expected to build
> systems that involve database usage, and they _don't_ have any
> guidance as to why databases should be used one way or another, it's
> pretty likely that they will re-invent the same _broken_ wheels that
> others have repetitively invented over the years...
>
> Substitute
> s/database/compiler/g
> s/database/linker/g
> s/database/markup language/g
> as needed...
Date: Sat, 31 Jul 2004 01:55:38 GMT
Message-ID: <u_COc.356817$Gx4.204986_at_bgtnsc04-news.ops.worldnet.att.net>
Christopher Browne wrote:
> Clinging to sanity, jcoffin_at_taeus.com (Jerry Coffin) mumbled into her beard:
>
>>A few might qualify as crossovers as well: just for example, Lion's >>book or almost any of Tannenbaum's books could be used for studying >>SE, with operating sytsems as the example code. Likewise, the Dragon >>Book could be used as a study in SE with compilers as the sample >>code.
>
>
> There's a bit of a problem with that; when SE's are expected to build
> systems that involve database usage, and they _don't_ have any
> guidance as to why databases should be used one way or another, it's
> pretty likely that they will re-invent the same _broken_ wheels that
> others have repetitively invented over the years...
>
> Substitute
> s/database/compiler/g
> s/database/linker/g
> s/database/markup language/g
> as needed...
Amen to that, Chris.
It seems there's a normal human attitude that
"the other guy's job is easier," so we tend to
underestimate the effort involved in those
areas where we don't have expertise. Or, more
precisely, we underestimate the level of experience needed
to be reasonably adroit with a certain
"thing" (database/compiler/linker, to use your
examples).
-- "It is impossible to make anything foolproof because fools are so ingenious" - A. BlochReceived on Sat Jul 31 2004 - 03:55:38 CEST