Re: Holy Smoke!

"Stu Charlton" <stuartc_at_mac.com> wrote in message news:21398ab6.0309140138.129fc091_at_posting.google.com...

> The paper I usually recommend of his is "Principles and Patterns",
> available here:
> http://www.objectmentor.com/resources/articles/Principles_and_Patterns.PDF
> which is rather enlightening, I think, but not anything too
> revolutionary. When you ever get around to reading it, I wouldn't
> mind hearing your thoughts.

Will definitely go through it, looks very interesting. Thanks a lot.

> His later stuff on software craftsmenship and extreme programming
> stuff I've shied away from thus far. There's some merit in it but the
> approaches are too hyped and prone to abuse (just as patterns were,
> and models, and.. etc.).

I'm a bit worried about the notion that a customer will drive the development of all these small parts which magically will make a whole. I can see the advantages of splitting the problem of course. But it's the "magical glue" at the end I'm worried about: never seen it in action anywhere, can't see how it will suddenly materialise without creating its own host of problems... Reminds me somewhat of the "modular programming" thing of the early 80s.

> Well, I should be thanking you, actually. Stumbling on Tom Kyte's
> books and lurking on this newsgroup for a year has tremendously
> changed my view of software development for the better. My J2EE
> friends don't like talking to me anymore :-)

You give this place more credit than it deserves, IMO. But yes, Tom's work (be it his or his organization's, that's immaterial) is truly excellent. The J2EE mob can get very agro. I'm lucky to have worked for the last three years with a very good group. Who has allowed me to show what can be done when technologies cooperate rather than clash. We simply couldn't have got it done if we had been at each other's throats all the time.

Not to say we didn't have our moments... Fortunately, I'm a bulky sort of person with a judo background! :D

-- 
Cheers
Nuno Souto
wizofoz2k_at_yahoo.com.au.nospam